With the 11th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies selected Cedric Coward after a trade up from the 16th pick with the Portland Trail Blazers. Coward was considered a draft riser after impressing multiple teams during the pre-draft workout process, and the Grizzlies felt he was worth trading two first-round picks (2028 Orlando Magic pick also) and two future second-round picks for.
Unfortunately, Coward was still recovering from a surgery to repair a torn labrum from December last season in his final college season at Washington State. While he healed enough to participate in individual pre-draft workouts, he wasn't cleared to play for the Grizzlies' summer league team.
This development likely led to NBA 2K not ranking him among the top 10 of their rookie ratings, which would likely make his rating below the 72 rating given to their 10th-ranked rookie, Collin Murray-Boyles. However, that doesn't lessen the impact he could potentially have on the Grizzlies for this upcoming season.
Cedric Coward will determine how successful the Grizzlies' offseason was
When the Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and four first-round picks, the thought was that they would put themselves in position to either go all-in or rebuild. With Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. entering their prime seasons, the team decided to build around a big two model with hopes of a young wing to develop into the role vacated by Bane.
Ultimately, the Grizzlies traded two of their four picks received from the Bane trade to select Coward as the potential wing of the future. Although he only played six games in his final collegiate season, he impressed in draft workouts with his 7'2" wingspan and smooth shooting stroke, which is what the Grizzlies need more of on their team.
TrueHoop's Henry Abbott even wrote about Cedric Coward's potential ahead of the draft, stating that his colleague, David Thorpe, said he would've drafted Coward with the second overall pick of the draft due to his potential. Wing players with 7'2" wingspans have a successful track record in the NBA, so predicting Coward's rise was a no-brainer.
The Grizzlies won't truly know what they have in Coward until the team begins training camp in a little over a month. However, the pressure is already on for the rookie forward, who is the prized piece from the Desmond Bane trade at the current moment. He has the tools to display that potential early, and the team is banking on that so they don't lose a step in their quest to become a championship contender.