The Memphis Grizzlies earned their third win in a row on the road against the Charlotte Hornets to move up to the seventh seed in the Western Conference. However, the victory came with a cost as starting rookie small forward Jaylen Wells suffered what could be a season-ending injury.
Wells attempted and made a fastbreak dunk towards the end of the first half of their game against Charlotte when Hornets two-way guard KJ Simpson undercut him, leading to a hard fall. He had to be carried off on the stretcher and rushed to the hospital, where his father gave an update to a Grizzlies fan on X (formerly known as Twitter).
After his father, Fred Wells, gave an update on his status of a swollen wrist, face, jaw, and back pain, Jaylen Wells posted a picture of himself on Instagram to show everyone that he is fine. While the good news is that Wells didn't suffer a life-threatening injury, the injury he did sustain likely ends his season.
Jaylen Wells suffered a broken wrist
Jaylen Wells has been Mr. Reliable for the Memphis Grizzlies during his rookie season as the only member on their roster not to miss a game this season. After entering the starting lineup in the Grizzlies' sixth game of the season, he didn't relinquish that position and provided exactly what the team needed from that position as a 3-and-D wing.
After his father's initial update, Shams Charania broke the news that Wells had suffered a broken wrist after his scary fall against the Hornets. Doctor Brian Sutterer gave a more detailed breakdown of the situation and confirmed that the broken wrist would likely require surgery and end his season.
Wells has remained in the top five of the Rookie of the Year race throughout his surprising rookie season and will likely make one of the two NBA All-Rookie teams. Again, the situation could've been worse considering his fall but the team and general public can take solace that he is doing well with no serious injury to the head and neck area as he was released from the hospital the next day.
The Grizzlies have to go another route with their starting wing position, which will likely mean more reps for third-year forward Vince Williams Jr. The hole left by Wells will certainly hurt a Grizzlies team that will already miss reserve big man Brandon Clarke for the rest of the season. As for Wells, a solid rookie campaign will end with him averaging 10.4 points and 3.4 rebounds on 35.3% shooting from three.