Memphis Grizzlies center close to returning

On By Littum

This article has been updated to provide more clarity.

Memphis Grizzlies rookie center Zach Edey is close to a return. Edey has missed the last five games while dealing with an ankle injury.

The injury was sustained against the Denver Nuggets on November 17th. Before the injury, Edey had four consecutive games with at least double-digit scoring and at least three offensive rebounds.

Edey has been doing 1-on-0 work recently and will start to step up more late this week or early next, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said.

“I would imagine in the next couple of days we can see him get into some more range of motion drills and hopefully on the short end,” Jenkins said.

When Edey has been active, the Grizzlies (12-7) have been one of the NBA’s best offensive rebounding teams.

Edey is averaging 11.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He was drafted in the first round with the 9th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

After Friday, the Grizzlies play at home Sunday (2:30 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network) against the Indiana Pacers.

The schedule will have an increase in competition next week. Memphis will play last season’s conference champions – the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics on Tuesday and Saturday, respectively. A home game against a quality Sacramento Kings team is also sandwiched between those road games on Thursday.

Damichael Cole is the one Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [email protected]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.