The Memphis Grizzlies organization is looking toward the 2026-27 campaign, and so is Zach Edey. The second-year center is officially done for the remainder of this season after undergoing ankle surgery on Tuesday, per ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel. He is expected to make a full recovery, but the team obviously waned to get a longer look at him before going into the offseason.
Following an impressive rookie year in which he averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 21.5 minutes per contest, Edey played only 11 games and did not take the court at all in 2026. The Purdue legend excelled when active, however. He recorded five double-doubles, scored 32 points on 16-of-20 shooting in a Nov. 30 win versus the Sacramento Kings and posted 66 boards during a four-game road trip. Ergo, fans have good reason to be excited about his development.
Even so, there is always some degree of concern when a 7-plus-footer misses extended time early in his NBA career. Edey played 138 games for the Boilermakers during his history-making collegiate run, but it only takes one major injury to set off a brutal sequence of misfortune. Hopefully, this surgery will prevent further damage and rejuvenate the two-time Wooden Award winner.
The silver lining to the Zach Edey news is that the Grizzlies should increase their chances of landing a valuable pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. If everything breaks in their favor, they could have the opportunity to cement an exciting young core with a top-five talent.
Ideally, both the 23-year-old big man and a revamped Memphis squad will be better positioned for sustained success following an offseason of recovery and reflection.
