Jaylen Wells put on a show at the Ball Don't Stop Pro-Am ahead of his third NBA season.
Memphis Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells had a big showing in the Ball Don't Stop Pro-Am last weekend, scoring 56 points in Vancouver.
Wells is entering his third season at the NBA level after two solid seasons to begin his career, and it seems like there's more where that came from for the former second-round pick.
Wells recently hinted that he's bringing more "creativity" back to his game. It certainly seems like that was apparent in the Ball Don't Stop Pro-Am, as the platform noted that he had a big night creating his looks in iso situations.
A couple summers ago, Wells had another huge showing at the same event ahead of his rookie season. He scored 51 points in the 2024 iteration, just five fewer than he scored this past weekend.
Wells is going to have a chance to establish himself as a key part of the Cameron Boozer era in Memphis as the organization enters a new chapter after trading away star guard Ja Morant. The Grizzlies have undergone so many changes that Wells is actually one of the most familiar faces remaining, even though he's been with the team for just two seasons.
As a rookie, he was exceptional, exceeding expectations and spending virtually the whole season in the starting lineup despite coming into the league as the No. 39 overall pick in 2024. He finished third in the Rookie of the Year race after averaging 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
He then showed a little more growth in his sophomore campaign, averaging 12.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest while starting every game he appeared in.
If he can put it all together in his third season, he could start to solidify himself as a long-term part of the future in Memphis. As of now, he is under contract through the next two seasons, including a team option for the 2027-28 campaign. He is on a team-friendly rookie deal which he is certainly outplaying the value of. At some point, the franchise will need to give him a new deal if it wants to secure his future.
As far as the upcoming season is concerned, the Grizzlies aren't expected to make a ton of noise, but there seems to be some belief in the building that they can surprise people. There are sure to be growing pains in the immediate future for the young squad, especially with lots of new faces in the mix, but Wells may be able to help bridge the gap given his two years of experience in Memphis.
