The Memphis Grizzlies face an important upcoming NBA Draft after finishing with a disappointing 25-57 record. It still remains to be seen where they will be selecting before the NBA Draft Lottery on May 10. However, they hold the seventh-best odds for the No. 1 overall pick.

Sam Vecenie's updated 2026 NBA Mock Draft has the Grizzlies selecting fourth overall after using a Tankathon spin to determine the draft order for this exercise.

Here is how The Athletic projects the Grizzlies to operate during the draft based on this simulation.

Vecenie projects the Grizzlies to land Caleb Wilson, a 6-foot-10 wing out of North Carolina, with the No. 4 overall selection. Wilson missed the final month of the season after suffering a broken right thumb and a broken left hand, but the production he posted before the injuries was difficult to ignore.

The 19-year-old averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks as a freshman. There is an expectations that as the draft process plays out, more scouts are placing Wilson in the same tier as Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, and Cameron Boozer, with a handful of evaluators viewing him as a top-three talent in the class.

The strengths center on power, explosiveness, and a motor that drew a comparison to Pascal Siakam. The main drawback for Wilson as a prospect includes limited 3-point sample (7-of-27 on the season) and inconsistent off-ball defensive instincts despite strong block and steal numbers.

With such a selection, Memphis would be pairing Zach Edey with length and athleticism in the frontcourt next to him. Wilson would slot in as an impactful type of two-way wing that the Grizzlies can build on.

The Grizzlies' second projected first-rounder comes via the Phoenix Suns at No. 16, where Vecenie has Memphis selecting Koa Peat, the 6-foot-8 wing out of Arizona.

Peat averaged 14.1 points while shooting 53 percent from the field as a freshman, and elevated his game in the NCAA Tournament with averages of 17.2 points and 7.6 rebounds on 48.5 percent shooting. He's one of the most decorated players in his age group, citing state titles, four gold medals with Team USA in youth events, and a Final Four run with the Wildcats.

Where Peat really fits is in Memphis. Vecenie pointed to the Grizzlies as the type of team that would value his winning traits as they continue to build around Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and the rest of the young core.

The flaws are real. Peat shot 7-of-20 from 3-point range as a freshman and connected on just 62.3 percent of his free throws. He is not an elite lateral defender either, though Vecenie noted he developed into a quality defender by the end of the season.

The final projection involves the Grizzlies taking Allen Graves, a 6-foot-8 forward out of Santa Clara.

Scouts view this class as deep but messy through the back half of the lottery and into the late first round, and Graves gives Memphis another developmental wing to throw into the mix.