Edey was selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by Memphis. Edey will provide frontcourt reinforcement for a Grizzlies team that has plenty of question marks outside of Jaren Jackson up front. An ankle sprain limited Edey to just 42 total minutes in Summer League, but he showed off everything optimists were hoping for. At 7-foot-4, 300 pounds, Edey possesses the size and strength to be a high-level rebounder and interior defender. He also has surprisingly good touch for a player of his stature, making 71 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe last season at Purdue and hitting finesse shots in the paint with both hands. While his lack of foot speed will make him a target for opposing offenses in the pick-and-roll, Edey could be an excellent per-minute producer for fantasy purposes, whether that's alongside Jackson or off the bench. Don't be surprised if he's the first rookie off the board in many fantasy drafts. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a two-year, $11.8 million contract with the Grizzlies in July of 2024. Contract includes $6.33 million team option for 2026-27.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary
Zach Edey grew up in Toronto, Canada and didn't play basketball until he was a sophomore in high school. After showing promise, he transferred to IMG Academy and was a three-star recruit before committing to Purdue. Edey was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team in 2021 and then transformed into one of the best players in the country, finishing with at least 22 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks per game as a junior and senior. He won back-to-back National Player of the Year and Big Ten Player of the Year awards to end his collegiate career, including a 2023 Big Ten Tournament MVP and NCAA scoring title in 2024 (25.2 points per game). Edey was the first player to win back-to-back National Player of the Year awards since Ralph Sampson. He also represented Canada at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Asia. At 7-foot-4, Edey dominated collegiate opponents with ease. He was a great screener, attacked the boards, displayed solid footwork and an efficient touch around the rim. Edey had great discipline defensively (less than 2.0 fouls per game as a junior and senior) and rarely needed to leave his feet to swat shots as an amateur. His large base allowed him to move defenders out of position and get to his spots. Edey was also a quality free-throw shooter for a center, making over 71 percent from the stripe in three of four seasons at Purdue. There'll be a stiff learning curve at the professional level, and Edey is far from a polished product. However, given he's been playing the game for only six years, there's no reason to believe he's anywhere near his peak yet. The traditional center is an endangered species in the NBA. However, there are some guys floating around the league that give a guy like Edey some hope for a stable career. While he still has plenty of room to improve, the Purdue product is way more fluid than Boban Marjanovic, who is essentially the same size as Edey. Marjanovic was also 27 when he made his NBA debut, while Edey is 21. Edey (7-4, 300 lbs) is also a lot bigger than traditional centers like Ivicia Zubac (7-0, 240 lbs) and Steven Adams (6-11, 265). If he improves his footwork on both ends of the court, Edey could be a starting-level center in the NBA like Ivica Zubac. If he improves his rebounding, Edey could be a glass eater like Steven Adams. If he improves his shot-blocking timing and can stay out of foul trouble, Edey could be a defensive force like Walker Kessler. If he fails to become elite in any of the aforementioned categories, Edey would probably end up as a journeyman backup like Marjanovic and Alex Len.
Likely to miss two more weeks
CMemphis Grizzlies
Ankle
December 5, 2024
Coach Taylor Jenkins said Thursday that the Grizzlies weren't comfortable with where Edey (ankle) is in his recovery process, and he'll be monitored for a potential return to game action over the next couple of weeks, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.
ANALYSIS Edey is expected to miss more time due to a left ankle sprain, and he hasn't played since Nov. 17. The rookie big man was assigned to the club's G League affiliate -- the Mempis Hustle -- to get a practice in on Wednesday, though it seemingly did not go according to plan as he's now behind his original schedule for a return to game action. Jay Huff, Santi Aldama and Jake LaRavia should continue seeing an uptick in playing time with Edey sidelined.
2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Starting/Off Bench
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2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Days Rest
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2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Vs Opp
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2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - By Result
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Advanced Stats
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2024
Stat Review
How does Zach Edey compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
True Shooting %
An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
Effective Field Goal %
A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
3-Point Attempt Rate
Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
Free Throw Rate
Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
Offensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Defensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Total Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Assist %
An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
Steal %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
Block %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
Turnover %
An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
Usage %
An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
Fantasy Points Per Game
NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
Fantasy Points Per Minute
NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
65.3%
Effective Field Goal %
63.8%
3-Point Attempt Rate
9.5%
Free Throw Rate
31.4%
Offensive Rebound %
16.7%
Defensive Rebound %
19.3%
Total Rebound %
18.0%
Assist %
5.5%
Steal %
1.7%
Block %
4.6%
Turnover %
14.9%
Usage %
20.2%
Fantasy Points Per Game
24.6
Fantasy Points Per Minute
1.2
Total
Per Game
Per 36
NBA Historical Fantasy Stats
How are these ratings calculated?
Our historical fantasy ratings are standard scores calculated using 8-Category settings with 12 teams and 13 players per team.
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NBA Per Game Historical Fantasy Stats
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NBA Per 36 Historical Fantasy Stats
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Historical ADP
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Grizzlies Depth Chart
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Average Fantasy Points are determined when Zach Edey was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
Minutes
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More Fantasy News
Assigned to G League
CMemphis Grizzlies
Ankle
December 4, 2024
The Grizzlies assigned Edey (ankle) to the G League's Memphis Hustle on Wednesday.
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Eyeing return Saturday
CMemphis Grizzlies
Ankle
December 3, 2024
Coach Taylor Jenkins said Tuesday that Edey (ankle) is progressing well through on-court activity, and he could potentially suit up for Saturday's game against the Celtics, Michael Wallace of the Grizzlies' official site reports.
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Won't return Tuesday vs. Mavs
CMemphis Grizzlies
Ankle
December 2, 2024
Edey (ankle) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Mavericks.
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Won't play Sunday
CMemphis Grizzlies
Ankle
November 30, 2024
Edey (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Pacers.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Settling in
CMemphis Grizzlies
November 8, 2024
Edey is averaging just 2.0 fouls in 20.3 minutes across his last six games, after picking up a combined 14 fouls in his first three games of the year.
ANALYSIS Edey's scoring continues to fluctuate, but his offensive rebounding prowess is among the best in the league, so his ability to stay on the court is notable. Given the defensive importance of the center position and the frequency at which he must navigate ball screens, there will still be games in the future where Edey gets in foul trouble.