NBA Draft: Memphis Grizzlies Workout Wendell Carter Jr.

OMAHA, NE - MARCH 25: Wendell Carter, Jr. #34 of the Duke Blue Devils looks on during player introductions prior to their game against the Kansas Jayhawks during the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional Final at CenturyLink Center on March 25, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE - MARCH 25: Wendell Carter, Jr. #34 of the Duke Blue Devils looks on during player introductions prior to their game against the Kansas Jayhawks during the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional Final at CenturyLink Center on March 25, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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A Memphis Grizzlies workout that was rumored to include only projected second round picks also featured Duke forward Wendell Carter Jr. at FedEx Forum on Monday afternoon.

On Monday, the Memphis Grizzlies held another one of their pre-Draft workouts at FedEx Forum. A list full of probable second round picks attended the workout (shown below), but one guy slipped into the gym unnoticed.

That guy? Wendell Carter Jr. out of Duke University. Carter, projected to go in the latter part of the top-ten picks, was not at all expected to be in Memphis, Tennessee today.

Problem?

The problem is pretty clear. Memphis has the fourth overall pick and Carter is not projected to get picked until the seven-to-ten range of the first round. If Memphis lost all of these games this past season to trade back, taking a guy that is wildcard, what does that tell you? Either Chris Makris sees something we do not see (if you don’t know who Makris is, read the article below on the Grizzlies’ Front Office), or this is General Manager Chris Wallace’s guy.

Either way, it only makes sense if Memphis is willing to move back to a possible number seven or eight overall pick for this to even be a thought.

Why Memphis Holds Leverage:

I wrote about this several weeks ago, and never thought it would come true, but the Memphis Grizzlies could be trading back to number nine. Reason I say that is because of the New Yorks Knicks’ love for Oklahoma guard Trae Young. If the Knicks want Young enough, and he is still on the board at number four, look for this to happen, but only if the Grizzlies want Carter Jr., and the Knicks are willing to offer something special.