Jaylen Wells will undergo surgery for a tendon avulsion fracture in his right big toe and is expected to miss the rest of the 2025-26 season, the Memphis Grizzlies announced Monday.
The Memphis Grizzlies announced Jaylen Wells will undergo surgery to address a tendon avulsion fracture in his right big toe. While a specific recovery timeline was not provided during Sunday's announcement, Wells is projected to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season, given how few games remain.
The injury Wells suffered occurred on March 23 against the Atlanta Hawks. He'd been using crutches lately, suggesting he would be sidelined for the foreseeable future prior to the announcement. There isn't a set timeline provided by the Grizzlies yet, but by all accounts, Wells is expected to fully recover before the 2026-27 season.
The 23-year-old played 69 games this season, averaging 12.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 26.4 minutes. He shot 43.1% from the floor, 35.3% from 3-point range, and 78.4% on free throws. It was not the level of impact many expected from Wells after finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting last season, but he did deal with plenty of injuries throughout a season of widespread roster turnover.
Wells becomes the latest of many Grizzlies players to undergo season-ending surgery. He joins Ja Morant, Santi Aldama, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brandon Clarke, Zach Edey, and Scotty Pippen Jr. as players who have already been ruled out for the season.
At 25-49, Memphis has already been officially eliminated from postseason contention. With the franchise now focused on maximizing draft positioning down the stretch, the organization figures to lean heavily on Cedric Coward and GG Jackson, who are the most likely candidates to carry the expanded offensive load the rest of the way.
Coward has taken on a larger role in recent weeks and has made the most of the opportunity. He scored 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting and hauled in nine rebounds on Saturday as the Grizzlies ended a five-game losing skid with a win over the Chicago Bulls.
"Right now, he's a featured guy," Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo said of Coward after the win. "When you look at our roster, he's the featured guy, and teams put a lot more emphasis on stopping him. I think he's done a great job letting the game come to him."
The Grizzlies return to action on Monday to face the Phoenix Suns at FedEx Forum before ending their homestand against the New York Knicks on Wednesday and the Toronto Raptors on Friday.