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The Memphis Grizzlies entered the 2025 NBA Draft with this feat. They held not one, but three picks — becoming one of the few to hold that many selections before the event.
They then surfaced as one of the trade hungry teams on draft night.
Memphis moved into the 11th spot in a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. Cedric Coward arrived following the deal. The Grizzlies pulled off one more draft trade in the second round, working a deal with the Houston Rockets.
Memphis still landed three incoming rookies to team with Ja Morant and company. Does this hand Memphis a high draft grade? It's time to put together their report grade now that the draft has concluded.
Round 1, Pick 11: G/F Cedric Coward, Washington State
Coward's post draft started with a mistake in identity. Malika Andrews mistakenly called him Colin Cowherd during the ESPN NBA Draft broadcast.
The Grizzlies still landed one of the top two-way talents. And one of the top jump shooters available. He's bringing extensive experience too — having played for Willamette University, Eastern Washington and Washington State. The Fresno, California native still led Wazzu in scoring (17.7 points per game) despite playing six games.
Coward is attempting to return from a shoulder injury. Which will draw league concerns. But he drew praise for his three-point shooting stroke in his scouting evaluation pre-draft.
Morant and the Grizzlies gain a new long range shooting presence. He brings a motor on the defensive side too, which leads to hogging the rebounds over opponents. Coward even earned comparisons to Eastern Conference champion Aaron Nesmith. He's worth moving up for on Memphis's side.
Grade: A
Round 2, Pick 18 (No. 48 overall): Guard Javon Small, West Virginia
The Grizz stayed with the guard theme on night two. This time plucking the 6-foot-1 Big 12 Conference star.
Small ended the season earning first team All-Conference honors. He racked up 18.6 PPG with 5.6 assists per game.
“Small has proven to be one of the most talented college basketball players in the country,” his scouting report begins. “He’s a strong defender, playmaker and can create his own shot without just launching 3s.”
He displays a fearless side for contact, too. Attacking the rim and finishing through contact. He's even creative with his passes — which brings thoughts of alley-oop feeds to Morant and the veterans. Lastly, Small is disruptive against screens.
Small is a small guard who plays larger than he looks. He's capable of sparking energy off the bench to start before pushing for a starting spot. The veteran guard is a smart pick for general manager Zach Kleiman.
Grade: A-
Round 2, Pick 29 (No. 59 overall): Guard Jahmai Mashack, Tennessee
The Grizzlies closed the draft with a local prospect. And one originally headed to the Rockets. Mashack became the final trade of the draft festivities.
He became an anti-portal story too. Mashack went from redshirt freshman, to rotational piece as a sophomore and junior, to starting his senior year. All without dipping into the portal.
Mashack adds one more defensive layer inside the FedEx Forum. Except he received a glowing review for that skillset.
“Mashack was arguably the best defender in college basketball during the 2024-25 season, and that projects to be his go-to NBA skill,” his scouting report wrote down. “He’s an aggressive, predictive defender who often takes the opposing team’s toughest assignment, being active with both his hands and feet.”
He's not a scoring threat. But think of Mashack as a NFL cornerback assigned to the best receiving option. His role is to limit the touches, plus scoring opportunities.
Grade: B
