'I like Memphis': Could Memphis Grizzlies be interested in Purdue's Zach Edey in NBA draft?
Could former Purdue basketball star Zach Edey be a Memphis Grizzlies draft target?
The 7-foot-4 Edey said Tuesday at the NBA draft combine in Chicago that the Grizzlies were one of the NBA teams he planned to meet with.
"They've been interested in me for a little bit," Edey told reporters. "Memphis . . . I like Memphis."
The Grizzlies have the No. 9 pick in the June 26-27 NBA draft. General manager Zach Kleiman has made it clear that adding a big is a priority this offseason, whether it's through free agency, a trade or in the draft. Memphis traded Steven Adams during the season and will look to find a replacement who can play alongside Jaren Jackson Jr.
Edey dominated college basketball and won back-to-back National Player of the Year awards. But he has been one of the most polarizing players in the pre-draft process as teams wonder how his game will translate to the NBA.
Edey is a projected first-round pick and likely will be available at No. 9. UConn center Donovan Clingan, another big man who could be a Grizzlies target, is projected to be picked higher.
"I'm never going to be the wiry, 7-foot guy like Kevin Durant. That's never going to be me," Edey said. "I'm a 7-foot-4, 300-pound guy. I'm built to be in the paint, to carve out space, to protect my area. And that's what I'm going to keep doing. I think there's a lot of people in the NBA that do stuff like that. (Pelicans center Jonas) Valančiūnas, (Clippers center Ivica) Zubac, Steven Adams, guys who have had a lot of success in the NBA being presences. I'm going to stick to who I am."
Both Valančiūnas and Adams are former Grizzlies centers who have had success in the NBA with their brands of physical defense and rebounding, as well as effective screening on offense. Edey also mentioned his screen-setting ability as something he wants to use in the NBA.
While he made his name at the college level with elite post play, he said he has been working on his shot and feels confident stepping farther away from the basket. That could be important in the league.
"I've always believed I can shoot. And I've always believed if I'm asked to, I can fill a role like that," he said. "It all depends on what I'm asked to do."
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies might look at Purdue's Zach Edey in NBA draft
