5 exciting sleeper prospects Grizzlies could snatch up in 2024 NBA Draft

Ja'Kobe Walter

Pivoting away from the obvious and perhaps haphazard idea of taking a young center in the draft, Memphis could instead pursue a two-way guard to bolster an already imposing backcourt rotation.

Here enters former Baylor guard Ja'Kobe Walter.

The 19-year-old finds himself coming off a respectable one-and-done season after averaging 14.5 points per game and boasts a shifty and quick step on the court.

When measuring up on the Grizzlies, Walter would be able to help the team retain an elite level of spacing as a solid outside shooter, while also contributing directly to their defensive backbone.

Similarly to Ware, there's a possibility Walter gets scooped up early by a team looking to add a 3-and-D player who can potentially slot in anywhere within a rotation, leaving the Grizzlies potentially out of the sweepstakes despite having a top-ten pick.

Adding a player like Walter for Memphis could have fantastic potential. Walter would be able to learn both sides of the game through the elite backcourt rotation that Memphis has on deck, as well as seamlessly fitting in with elite shooters such as Desmond Bane.

Although Memphis would seemingly be primed to focus heavily on centers and oversized wing players this offseason, it's not unreasonable to think that they'd want to invest further in a strong bench unit that can score and defend at a high level.

Given the potential volatility of the upcoming draft outside of, say, a few picks who will be obvious choices to be off the board early, there's a very real chance for Walter to fall directly into Memphis' hands should they choose to invest in him.