The first night of the NBA Draft happened Wednesday evening (June 26), and there were plenty of surprises. One not-so surprising thing was that Purdue basketball star Zach Edey was drafted in the first round. This was great news for fans of Edey, because for months, many thought he would go late in the draft. But, he’s been working hard to show NBA scouts his worth, and all of that hard work mattered. I’m glad Edey was drafted within the top 10 of the draft and earned that respect. He went No. 9 in the draft, and I would have liked to have seen him gone even sooner. But, considering many NBA experts though he would go in the 20s for a while, No. 9 is great.

Purdue’s Zach Edey Joins the Memphis Grizzlies

Purdue’s Zach Edey was selected as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. He’s already getting a very warm welcome. His teammates are welcoming him with open arms, as Grizzlies star Ja Morant shared a video on his Instagram story that has been going viral on social media. The post is a scene from Rush Hour 3 poking fun with Edey’s height and size. He’s a big guy, after all. But, this is all just for kicks, and besides, Memphis has a lot of tall and big players, including Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol and Steven Adams.

It’s obvious to anyone following the sport that Morant is pleased with the the Grizzlies bringing Edey into the fold. Edey comes with a fantastic record. During his four years at Purdue, he averaged 18.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game and was crowned AP Player of the Year twice.

Two other Grizzlies players, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., also are welcoming him. They posted on their social media accounts about the high-profile pick. Bane wrote, “LETS GOOOOO,” while Jackson posted three salute emojis. So, it appears Edey is already part of the family.

Matt Norlander of CBS Sports took to social media to comment on the move, too. “Zach Edey is, by definition and achievement, a once-in-a-generation player,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “It’s a great night for college AND the NBA that a traditional big—one of the only guys in history to win back-to-back NPOYs—gets taken so high in the modern game. The Grizzlies will not regret this pick.”

I also believe the Grizzlies got a great player in Edey. I wish my team, the Detroit Pistons, had taken him with their No. 5 pick. But, instead, they surprised everyone and went with Ron Holland II. Pistons fans can’t believe it, since Holland was totally off the radar when it came to speculation of who would end up on the team. Plus, Holland was expected to go later in the draft. But, that’s what we go, so hopefully he can deliver. Either way, it’s going to be an exciting season and a season of change for both the Memphis Grizzlies and Detroit Pistons this year.