In a recent ESPN Mock Draft, they had the Memphis Grizzlies adding a talented guard with the No. 9 overall pick.
It was a tough 2023-24 season for the Memphis Grizzlies, as injuries derailed their season. However, with the injuries did come a top-10 pick for the Grizzlies, who still have a lot of talent on the team and should be healthy by next season.
The Grizzlies likely didn’t think they would be drafting in the Top 10 with the talent they have, but they do not have a very valuable asset to use. In ESPN’s mock draft after the NBA Lottery, they had the Memphis Grizzlies selecting Stephon Castle from UConn. Here’s what they had to say about the pick.
The Grizzlies are a best-player-available front office and will be eager to return to the playoffs after an injury-plagued season. While Castle isn’t a perfect fit because of the questions around his shooting, he has upside because of his size, defensive versatility, and playmaking, which give him attractive swiss-army-knife capabilities that could fast-track his pathway to useful minutes. Castle’s range of strengths should allow him to fit into a variety of lineups, particularly if he can shore up his 3-point shooting, and makes him an intriguing fit with Memphis’s current personnel in the short and long term. – Woo
Castle burst onto the scene with UConn last season during their National Title run, as he was an extremely important part of both their offense and defense. The Memphis Grizzlies, already have some very good guards in Ja Morant and Desmond Bane, but selecting Castle would be a move for the best player available.
While Castle would be a nice addition, the likely scenario for the Grizzlies is that they try to move this pick for an established player to make a run next season. If the Grizzlies do decide to hold on to the pick, Castle has a lot of upside with his size and athleticism. However, he will need to work on his jump shot.
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