The Memphis Grizzlies have built their identity on grit, grind, and finding value through thorough scouting. EVP/GM Zach Kleiman's quick rebuild depends on that culture being clutch over the next 18 months. With Zach Edey and Cedric Coward leading the way, Taylor Hendricks is on the periphery of a youth infusion. However, the former lottery pick's untapped potential makes the 22-year-old an ideal reclamation project for a team entering the post-Jaren Jackson Jr. era.
Rebuilds are rarely clean. They require patience, infrastructure, and, increasingly, a willingness to bet on young talent whose early NBA runway hasn’t matched pre-draft expectations. Hendricks still checks the foundational boxes that made him a lottery prospect. His positional size, rangy athleticism, and skill set scale across modern frontcourt roles. Acting as a weak-side rim protector, a low-usage spacer, and a transition finisher is the best way to get into Tuomas Iisalo's good graces.
Offensively, the expectation should be simplicity. Hendricks is best when he’s a play finisher rather than a play driver. Spot-up shooting from the corners, short-roll decisions, baseline cuts, and opportunistic transition play align with Memphis’ desire to keep young lineups spaced without overloading them with what the coaching staff refers to as read complexity.
Hendricks shot a respectable 39.4% from beyond the arc during his college career and flashed shooting ability in limited NBA action. In an offense that will need spacing around slashing guards and interior finishers, he can function as a floor-spacing four who keeps defenses honest. He doesn't need to be a primary creator, but his ability to knock down open corner threes and spot-up opportunities gives the offense necessary breathing room.
Iisalo is expected to experiment with Hendricks as a small-ball five in bench units. That look unlocks switching schemes, increases tempo, and creates lineups that trade some rim protection for speed and spacing. In a development-focused back half of the season, those reps are valuable data points for lineup construction moving forward.
Defensively, Hendricks has to use that 6-foot-9 frame to protect the paint. With Edey out and Jackson Jr. gone, Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward will have to hold their own on the perimeter. GG Jackson cannot be the only size swatting shots at the rim.
To many, he was a throw-in, just a former lottery pick who had struggled to find his footing in 15 inconsistent minutes per game with the Utah Jazz. But Hendricks isn’t just an add-on; he’s a reclamation project with the perfect environment, timeline, and skill set to not only salvage his young career but to become a foundational piece for the Grizzlies.
For the rest of this season, the priorities have shifted from playoff pursuit to evaluation and development. This creates an ideal low-pressure laboratory for the UCF product to thrive. Expect raw but tantalizing two-way flashes as Hendricks looks to stick in the rotations.
