Cedric Coward had a great rookie season for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward made the 2025-26 NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Coward, Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks, VJ Edgecombe of the Philadelphia 76ers, Dylan Harper of the San Antonio Spurs and Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets are the NBA All-Rookie First Team this season.
Coward appeared in 62 games for the Grizzlies this season. He averaged 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 47.1% from the field, 33.8% from beyond the arc and 84.3% from the free-throw line.
Coward is the seventh different Grizzlies player to earn All-Rookie honors over the past seven seasons, the most by any team over that span. This marks the third consecutive season that Memphis has at least one player on an All-Rookie team.
The Grizzlies selected Coward with the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The 22-year-old scored in double figures 49 times and at least 20 points eight times. He set career highs with 28 points and 16 rebounds in 37 minutes on Dec. 30 against the 76ers.
Memphis has the third overall pick in this year's draft. The future of the franchise appears to be bright with Coward leading the way.
The Grizzlies are expected to trade Ja Morant this offseason. Morant will make $42.1 million next season and $44 million in the 2027-28 season, the final year of his contract.
Since Morant doesn't have a no-trade clause, he can't control where the Grizzlies trade him.
According to ESPN, Morant has told people that he's done playing for the Grizzlies, who selected the guard with the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Murray State.
A two-time All-Star, Morant still hasn't gotten over the Grizzlies suspending him earlier this season for conduct detrimental to the team.
"Morant still hasn't gotten over the suspension, multiple league sources said, because he felt alienated by teammates, who were told to leave the star guard alone so he could work through the issues that had led to the suspension. In the aftermath, Morant told players around the league and some of his former coaches that he isn't playing for Memphis anymore, sources said," ESPN wrote.
Morant has career averages of 22.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game. He no longer fits Memphis' timeline since the franchise is rebuilding after trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic last offseason and Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz at this year's trade deadline.
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