Memphis Grizzlies: 5 takeaways, thoughts and questions about new draftees

The Memphis Grizzlies had an outstanding 2022 draft class, making multiple trades to go and grab talent they identified and believed to be ideal fits for this team.

Now that the dust has settled and trades have been finalized, we can now officially welcome Jake LaRavia (No. 19 overall), David Roddy (No. 23 overall), Kennedy Chandler (No. 38 overall), and Vince Williams (No. 47 overall) to the team.

The Grizzlies were able to snag LaRavia at No. 19 after consolidating their No. 22 and No. 29 picks to move up to No. 19.

The team had to part with rotation player De’Anthony Melton in order to get Roddy with the No. 23 overall pick.

The Grizzlies were able to get Kennedy Chandler in a trade with the Spurs for a future second-round pick.

And the Grizzlies landed on Vince Williams with their original pick at No. 47.

Now, let’s dive into some takeaways from a really eventful NBA Draft.

Did the Memphis Grizzlies overpay to draft Wake Forest standout Jake LaRavia?

As mentioned above, the Grizzlies had to part with No. 22 and No. 29 to move up three spots, essentially to draft LaRavia.

Many experts and Insiders were left scratching their heads at what many perceived to be a “reach” at No. 19 overall. However, this front office has done such a great job identifying and drafting talent.

Whenever they find a player they want, they will draft him, regardless of position. Remember, just last year, a lot of experts thought the Grizzlies reached to take Ziaire Williams and now, after his rookie season, doesn’t seem like an extreme reach.

Trust in Zach Kleiman in this front office until they have a few misses in a row.