Why Purdue center Zach Edey? Grizzlies GM explains first-round NBA draft choice

Memphis Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman didn't take long to clear the air Wednesday night after the team had selected 7-foot-4 Purdue center Zach Edey with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft.

There were reports during the past couple of weeks of the Grizzlies possibly moving up to draft another big man, particularly UConn's Donovan Clingan. Despite all the reports, Kleiman feels strongly about the Grizzlies coming away with Edey on Wednesday.

"Let's just say this is exactly what we were hoping would happen," Kleiman said.

"When we talk about the DNA of this team and what we are trying to build out, Zach Edey to a T is that definition," Kleiman later added. "We could not be more thrilled to land him in this draft."

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Edey, a four-year standout at Purdue, was the most accomplished center in the 2024 draft. He won both the Naismith and Wooden awards for the top collegiate player in his junior and senior seasons. His performance led to Purdue advancing to the national championship game his senior year.

Kleiman spoke with the media Wednesday night after the draft about why the Grizzlies are excited about their latest addition.

Inside the Grizzlies' comfort with Zach Edey

Edey first tested the NBA draft waters after his junior season, and that's when the Grizzlies first expressed interest in the collegiate standout. Memphis did its homework not only on how Edey would fit on the roster, but as well as coming to the city of Memphis.

"I think he understood both the cultural and encore fit," Kleiman said. "There was a lot of mutual excitement about him joining the Grizzlies."

Pairing Zach Edey with Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant

Grizzlies stars Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant both posted their approvals of the Edey selection on social media, and Kleiman mentioned on Wednesday how the 7-4 center's fit alongside those two players is one of the reasons Memphis is excited.

Jackson thrived as a roam defender in the 2022 and 2023 seasons while being named to the all-defensive team in both years and winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. This past season, Jackson played more at center, which took him out of the roamer role. His blocked shots drastically dipped and he was not named as a member of the two all-defensive teams.

There are questions about Edey's ability to play in space defensively, but Kleiman talked about the chance to have Edey protecting the paint while Jackson thrives as a help defender.

"I think that's a look we're very comfortable with and I think Zach has the potential to be a very positive, impactful defender over time," Kleiman said.

Kleiman shared that Morant was thrilled with the selection. Offensively, Morant has always been at his best when he has a big body at center capable of setting screens and forcing defenses to make tough choices. Jonas Valanciunas and Steven Adams played that role before, and those are two players Edey has compared himself to previously.

"As a roll threat to the basket, Ja has a way of finding guys," Kleiman said. "My God, you've got some size for Ja to find now. That's a pairing that we're really excited about."

Zach Edey gives Grizzlies optionality advantage

The biggest takeaway from drafting Edey is that he gives the Grizzlies another option. Now, Memphis has players capable of matching up against different types of foes on any given night.

If they want to go small, they can put Jackson at center and play five out. If they're playing a bigger mobile team, the Grizzlies can sub Brandon Clarke in for Edey. When Memphis matches up against the more physical centers like Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokic and Ivica Zubac, Edey will be relied on more.

"It's not easy to build a team that really can not just deal with different types of matchups, but what really appealed to us about Zach, you spend a lot of time trying to figure out how do we match up against this team, how do we match up against that team," Klieman said. "Zach is incredibly unique in that you got to deal with him. From a size standpoint, from a physicality standpoint, that's something other teams are going to have to grapple with. We want to have looks to throw out there that give us the advantage."

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.