Three Memphis Grizzlies Who've Made Their Case This Preseason

Three preseason games in, with one left Friday against Charlotte, the Grizzlies are 2-1, and while most of the buzz belongs to the highly touted No. 3 pick Cam Boozer, three other players have used camp to make a case for more minutes, a bigger payday, or to prove they can stay healthy.

GG Jackson II

Jackson II has been one of the most impressive and efficient scorers on the roster through three games, averaging 14.3 points and four rebounds on 51.7% shooting (15-of-29) in barely 15 minutes a night.

He opened with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the win over Atlanta, followed it with 15 points and six rebounds in the loss to Orlando, then closed the week with another 14-point, four-rebound night in Friday's win over Chicago.

At 6-foot-9, with length to match up around the frontcourt, Jackson II looks far more comfortable creating his own shot than waiting for one through three games.

He has shown the ability to put the ball on the floor with purposeful dribbles against bigger defenders and get all the way to the rim to finish, instead of over-dribbling or settling for the catch-and-shoot role he was often boxed into a season ago.

Jackson II is playing out a four-year, $8.5 million deal signed through the mid-level exception.

Memphis already exercised his $2.4 million option for 2026-27, and he's set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2027.

His current contract is a steal for a player with that potential, and only being 21 years old entering his fourth season.

He's still buried on the depth chart, at least on paper, with Jerami Grant, Jaylen Wells and others all fighting for forward minutes.

But three games in, he's forcing the staff's hand the same way he did late last season, when in an expanded role turned into a 16.4-point, 51.2% shooting stretch across February and March, then a 20.3-point April.

Grizzlies fans have seen the flashes of potential Jackson II has shown over his career, including his rookie year where on an injured roster, he averaged 14.6 points per game in 25.7 minutes.

Those abilities were on full display during his final game as rookie, as he finished with 44 points and 12 rebounds.

If Jackson II can continue to show defensive effort while staying efficient and engaged on offense, Memphis will likely have to cut a bigger check than it did last contract negotiation.

Taylor Hendricks

Hendricks has continued to show that he is a consistent “do-it-all” type of player for the Grizzlies.

He opened the preseason with seven points on 3-of-5 shooting, six rebounds, three steals and a block in 19 minutes off the bench against Atlanta.

Hendricks then followed it up with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three, in just 11 minutes against Orlando.

Across the two games, he's averaging 9.5 points, four rebounds, two steals and a block a night on an effective 66.7% shooting.

The sample is just two games, but the stats are not new.

Last season after arriving from Utah in February via the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, Hendricks averaged 12.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks per game after the All-Star break, so this preseason has been a continuation of what to expect from him.

But, the stakes are higher now this season for the 22-year-old.

He is in the final year of his rookie-scale contract, carrying a $7.8 million salary for 2026-27, with extension talks possible before the Oct. 31 deadline and restricted free agency waiting next summer either way.

While his true role on a healthy Grizzlies roster has yet to be seen, if Hendricks can continue his consistency as a versatile defender, while still developing his offensive game, he will make it very hard for this coaching staff to keep him off the floor.

Zach Edey

No player entered camp with a bigger question mark for Memphis than Edey, and no player has answered it more directly through three games.

Edey sat out the preseason opener against Atlanta entirely, as the team said that the regular season opener was the priority, but that did not stop him and this team from still getting out there and playing some minutes.

Coach Tuomas Iisalo said to media before Edey’s debut against Orlando that the decision to play him was “pretty much the best-case scenario that we had planned, and there was nothing that prevented us from going through.”

While he did not play all three games, he did show the ability to play two games in three nights, which is a great sign for a player who has seemingly caught the injury bug since arriving in Memphis in 2024.

He played 10 minutes in the loss to the Magic, finishing with two points, four rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block.

Then came Friday's win over Chicago, where “Big Maple” finished with 10 points on 3-of-3 shooting, five rebounds, two steals and a block in 16 minutes.

General manager Zach Kleiman said at media day Edey was “exactly where we hoped he would be,” cleared for full-speed, full-court work, and he looked like it during his preseason minutes.

If he gets a good stretch of run Friday against Charlotte, that will be a great sign for a team that is looking to surprise the basketball world this season and needs its 7-foot-4 big man to do it.