Edey faces another left ankle surgery, jeopardizing his season. Lingering pain and ligament laxity require reinforcement, delaying his return indefinitely.
Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey will undergo a second surgery on his left ankle, the team announced Sunday, putting the 7-foot-3 second-year big man's season in serious jeopardy.
Edey, 23, has not appeared in a game since Dec. 7 due to a stress reaction in his left ankle. The Grizzlies said the upcoming procedure will target ongoing discomfort and talar bone stress caused by progressive laxity of the deltoid ligaments on the medial side of the joint.
"Based on the unanimous opinion of consulting expert physicians, Edey's lateral ligaments remain stable post-surgery with ongoing discomfort and talar bone stress being driven by progressive laxity of the deltoid (medial) ligaments," the team said in a statement. "The upcoming procedure will reinforce the medial ligament complex and accelerate bone healing."
The Grizzlies said Edey is expected to make a full recovery, though a specific timetable for his return will not be issued until after the surgery is completed.
It marks the second time Edey has gone under the knife on the same ankle. He initially had surgery on his left ankle last June — less than two months after he was named to the All-Rookie first team and just weeks removed from his selection with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. That procedure delayed his 2024-25 season debut until Nov. 15, but the lingering discomfort proved too persistent to manage with treatment alone.
In the 11 games he did play this season, Edey showed flashes of the dominance that made him a two-time Associated Press National Player of the Year at Purdue. He averaged 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks — numbers that reinforced the Grizzlies' belief in his long-term potential as a franchise cornerstone alongside Ja Morant.
However, his injury history has raised legitimate concerns about his durability at the NBA level. Edey also missed 12 games early in his rookie campaign because of a left ankle sprain, making this the third significant absence tied to the same joint across his first two professional seasons.
The Grizzlies did not specify a date for the surgery.
In a secondary roster update, Memphis also announced that forward Brandon Clarke, 29, will require additional rehabilitation before he can advance to the next phase of his recovery from a right calf strain. Clarke has been sidelined since Dec. 20 and will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks.
The dual absences have compounded an already difficult stretch for Memphis, which has had to navigate its frontcourt rotation without two key contributors for an extended period.