Rookie Zach Edey Leaves Grizzlies’ Game with Ankle Injury

Edey is likely to miss more time with another ankle injury.

Zach Edey, a first-round draft pick for the Grizzlies, answers a question during a press conference to introduce the team’s 2024 NBA Draft picks at FedExForum on Friday, June 28, 2024. / Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA

Afrer missing several Summer League games due to ankle soreness, 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey left Thursday night’s game against the Pelicans after rolling his ankle on a block attempt.

The No. 9 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Edey played just one game in Salt Lake City before coming down with ankle soreness. He rolled his other ankle in his first Las Vegas action.

Edey was remarkably durable during his collegiate career, playing in no less than 28 games starting with his freshman season and maxing out at 39 in his championship run his final year at Purdue. Even more, he capped off his final collegiate run at 32 minutes per game, his second-straight year eclipsing 30 minutes per night.

An interior behemoth, Edey was likely to be one of Summer League’s most-watched rookies, averaging 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game in his senior season for the Boilermakers.

Instead, fans were left with just one full performance — 14 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks — and a nine-minute, six-point performance Thursday night. His first-ever professional performance also featured a game-tying bucket as time expired that would send the game to overtime.

There’s no real reason for fans to be concerned at this point. Edey’s been proven to be durable, and the cases so far in his professional career seem to be caution on Memphis part and unfortunate timing on the second.

There's been no confirmed timetable for Edey's return to the court, but it's likely he'll miss the rest of Summer League in Las Vegas with the event winding down in the coming days.

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