Zach Edey and Memphis - NBA media meets The Big Maple

With the 9th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies selected Zach Edey out of Purdue.

It's been all love since then as the Memphis rookie introduction tour has taken off on social media. Edey, due to his size and college domination, has met in the middle of a hot takes storm that range from incredible pick to potential NBA drop out.

Obviously the Grizzlies believe that Edey is the big man they've been missing since Steven Adams went down with an injury that cost him last season.

It turns out that Edey has been on the Grizzlies radar for a while.

Before Edey was Edey at Purdue, he wasn't a well known name in college, but that didn't stop the Grizzlies seeing potential in the big man that would go on to dominate the sport for the next two years.

Edey talked to media about that faith that the Grizzlies showed early in Edey's career and that they paid off with selecting Edey with the ninth pick in the first round.

Between media sessions, the Grizzlies put the big man in his new gear. Here's a look at Zach Edey decked out in the Memphis white jerseys.

The Grizzlies had a difficult season last year despite entering the regular season with high expectations. A year after a post season run that had Grizzlies thinking title, injuries and star player suspensions derailed the Grizzlies from the jump.

Big man Steven Adams had a knee injury that held him out of action up until the season where it was deemed he'd need surgery and would miss the entire season.

Even more damning, star point guard, Ja Morant, was suspended for incidents off the court. He was suspended 25 games and then when he returned suffered a severe injury of his own to his shoulder.

Memphis ended the season 27-55, allowing them a top lottery pick, a silver lining that landed a big that dominated college basketball for the last two seasons who fills a specific need on the roster with Adams now gone to the Houston Rockets via a trade.

Edey looms as one of the largest on court players in the NBA from day one. There's just not been enough bigs as dominant as he was in college to properly know how his game will translate to the NBA.

But the Grizzlies are believers in the big man, and it looks like Edey will have a chance from day one to potentially start for the Grizzlies who have every other position in their rotation pretty locked in.

Edey, for rebounding alone, makes a ton of since for the Grizzlies who have a star point guard who will thrive with the space Edey creates as a screener in the pick and roll. Edey also matches well with the Grizzlies four-man Jaren Jackson Jr. who has the ability to stretch the floor on offense, and cover a lot of ground on the defensive end.

Edey is joined by a familiar face, Cam Spencer, who was the Grizzlies last pick of the draft going 53rd in the draft after transferring to Rutgers two seasons ago and finishing his career at UConn where he helped the Huskies win back to back National Titles, defeating Edey's Boilers in the title game.

To round out the Grizzles draft night, Memphis selected Jaylen Wells out of Washington State.

Edey will be joining a big man that's also familiar to Purdue fans. Jaren Jackson Jr. was a one year star at Michigan State, and he'll now play alongside Edey.

The three rookies were put together to talk to media yesterday and here's a full video of the interview.

Here's the touching moment again of Zach Edey, who declined a green room invitation to instead watch the draft with his former teammates, including Mason Gillis, who flew in from Carolina to join his former team after transferring to Duke for his fifth and final college season.

Not every media person was sold on Zach Edey working in the NBA and going 9th in the NBA Draft. There were some hot takes that doubt Edey's ability to translate his college production to the NBA.

But within the Grizzlies organization, the draft couldn't have worked any better. There were rumors that the Grizzlies were targeting UConn's Donovan Clingan, but the Grizzlies GM, Zach Kleiman, broke down the organization's view on Edey and how he'll fit with the team.

Zach Edey is now the second top-10 pick from Purdue in the last three seasons after Jaden Ivey was selected fifth by the Detroit Pistons in 2022.

Purdue's expanded presence in the NBA bodes well for a program that just broke through in March Madness by making its first Final Four under Matt Painter. Now, Edey will be the next Boilermaker to make headlines in the NBA as the Grizzlies go into the summer with hopes to challenge for an NBA title.