An NBA scout offered some thoughts on Memphis Grizzlies big man Zach Edey ahead of his third season.
The 2026-27 Memphis Grizzlies season may be headlined by the arrival of prized rookie Cameron Boozer, but he isn't the only player who is going to define what the campaign looks like for the organization.
In fact, he also isn't the only player who is going to define what the starting frontcourt looks like. His frontcourt partner Zach Edey will have a say in that, with the 24-year-old entering his third season at the NBA level after an injury-riddled 2025-26 campaign.
One NBA scout believes Edey "has a place as a good player" but expressed some questions about the center.
“Does he start shooting threes?" the scout posed during a conversation with Sports Illustrated. "Can he do it efficiently? If he’s out on the perimeter, great. I’d let him shoot threes. Keeps him out of the paint. I'd take that over him pounding me on the glass. But I do think he has a place as a good player. He can get you open. If he can finish around the rim and rebound, that's value enough if he stays healthy. That's the biggest question with him.”
Edey, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has shown some very exciting flashes at the NBA level when he's been on the floor. But as the scout noted, Edey's health is something that can't be taken for granted. He is going to have to remain available if he wants to secure a place as a long-term piece in Memphis.
As a rookie, Edey was very good, averaging 9.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 58.0 percent from the field. He was trusted to make 55 starts in 66 total appearances, and the end result was an All-Rookie First Team nod and fifth-place finish in the Rookie of the Year race.
Last season, he looked even better in his limited action. Across 11 appearances, he averaged 13.6 points and 11.1 rebounds per game while shooting 63.3 percent from the floor.
In addition to staying healthy, Edey would benefit from adding a more consistent 3-point shot to his game. Across his first couple seasons in the league, he has gone 19-for-57 from deep, good enough for a respectable 33.3 percent clip, but he will need to increase the volume and efficiency in order to truly become a stretch big.
That would give the Grizzlies a very versatile frontcourt, as Boozer is already capable of stretching the floor. Edey getting there would allow Memphis to play lineups where everybody on the floor is a threat to shoot.
Overall, the hope is that the Toronto native will look good this coming season and give the Grizzlies optimism that they'll be able to lean on a Boozer-Edey frontcourt for years to come.
Edey had back-to-back seasons at Purdue in which he took home numerous Player of the Year awards nationally. Boozer, meanwhile, took home a lot of the same awards during his lone season at Duke. If they both reach their ceilings, Memphis is going to have a frontcourt that the rest of the NBA will fear.
