The wing position is mostly considered to be a small forward who can play shooting guard and/or power forward in certain lineups. It is considered the most important position in the NBA, as teams with an influx of them or with the top players at the position are always near the top of the NBA standings by season's end.
The Memphis Grizzlies have a star guard and big man combo with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., and are searching for their missing wing piece. They have an assortment of young, talented players they believe can fill their missing element(s), but growing pains are likely in store for them to propel them into championship contention.
Internal development can turn this weakness into a strength
ESPN's NBA writer Kevin Pelton listed the biggest holes for every team in the league entering the 2025-26 season. He listed the Grizzlies' biggest hole as wing size, but mentioned their drafting of Cedric Coward in the 2025 NBA draft as a potential solution to their weakness. Hypothetically, the Grizzlies have their best influx of wing depth with good size than they've had in recent years.
Cedric Coward is 6'6" with a 7'2" wingspan, likely starter Jaylen Wells is 6'8", GG Jackson is 6'9", and newly signed two-way prospect Olivier-Maxence Prosper is 6'7" with a 7'1" wingspan. However, the oldest player of that bunch is 23 years (Prosper), with GG Jackson being the youngest at 20 years old.
Developing is the best method for the Grizzlies to solve what is perceived to be their biggest hole due to the market of availability of players in that position, and Memphis not being a free agent destination for any that make it to the open market. The group they have is talented, as GG Jackson displayed scoring ability during his rookie season in 2023-24, and Jaylen Wells looks to be the ultimate 3-and-D guy after finishing his rookie season as a finalist for the Rookie of the Year award last season.
The Grizzlies used a future first-round pick to trade up five spots in this year's draft to select Cedric Coward and targeted Olivier-Maxence Prosper in trades before coming to terms with him following the Dallas Mavericks' waiving him. Wing size isn't necessarily a weakness, but the experience of their size is the real litmus test for the Grizzlies this upcoming season.
The development of each of their young wings is vital to the team's present and future. General manager Zach Kleiman felt the team had to take a step back to take the next step forward into championship contention, and upgrading their wing position was exactly what he had in mind. Now, it is up to the coaching staff and the players to prove him right in his evaluation.