Grizzlies' Zach Edey to undergo ankle surgery, miss start of 2025-26 season: Source
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'After consulting with the Grizzlies and multiple specialists, we decided this is the best approach for Zach long-term as it gets him back to 100 percent with no limitations,' Edey's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told The Athletic.
Edey, the No. 9 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, suffered a left ankle sprain in July 2024 while playing in the NBA Summer League and missed five games. He sprained his left ankle again in November 2024 and was sidelined for the next 12 games of his rookie season.
As a rookie, Edey started 55 of the 66 regular-season games he appeared in, averaging 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks en route to earning All-Rookie First Team honors. The 7-foot-4 center also started two games in the Play-In Tournament and another four in the first round of the playoffs, where Memphis was swept by the eventual Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Edey's absence for the start of next season puts the Grizzlies front office in a unique position. Reserve big Brandon Clarke, who missed the tail end of the season with a right PCL sprain, opted against surgery and should be fully healthy by the time the 2025-26 campaign rolls around. Outside of Clarke, sparingly used Jay Huff would be the only other true center on Memphis' roster.
The free agent center market isn't exactly robust, but there are a few names that could help the Grizzlies in the interim, specifically Steven Adams, who played for Memphis between 2021 and 2023. Expect the Grizzlies to also consider options like Brook Lopez, Clint Capela and Kevon Looney, who could help immediately and be had at the non-taxpayer mid-level rate.
Edey, the 2023 and 2024 National Player of the Year at Purdue, played in 138 of a possible 139 games during his four-year college career. His lone absence was due to a non-COVID illness in the 2022-23 season.
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