Grizzlies NBA draft picks 2023: When do the Memphis Grizzlies pick? Order and more explored

The Memphis Grizzlies are in desperate need of reinforcements entering Thursday night’s NBA draft.

The team already informed starting wing Dillon Brooks that they will not re-sign him in free agency. Meanwhile, Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant has been suspended for 25 games for brandishing a gun on Instagram Live.

That leaves Memphis very depleted in the backcourt and on the wings. Fortunately for the Grizzlies, they will have three picks in this year’s draft (No. 25, 45 and 56) that they can use to try and bolster their depth.

Among them, the Grizzlies’ No. 25 pick is obviously their best bet to find a player who can contribute right away. One name that has been attached to Memphis in multiple mock drafts is sharpshooting Santa Clara shooting guard Brandin Podziemski.

ESPN, CBS Sports and Yahoo Sports have the Grizzlies taking Podziemski at No. 25. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony described Poziemski’s fit in Memphis as follows ahead of Morant’s suspension:

“Podziemski fits the productive and versatile role player Memphis has targeted in past drafts,” Givony said. “He would have a chance to earn playing time in a backcourt that will be much thinner once Ja Morant's suspension is announced.”

Meanwhile, Fox Sports' John Fanta has Memphis projected to take athletic two-way wing Dariq Whitehead out of Duke. Fanta described Whitehead’s fit in Memphis as follows:

“If the Grizzlies do keep this pick, the potential fit for them at No. 25 is to find a wing who has upside,” Fanta said.

“At 6-6 with a 220-pound body, former five-star recruit and Duke one-and-done product Dariq Whitehead can definitely fill a key role from the perimeter, having shot nearly 43% from 3 in his lone season with the Blue Devils. That strong shooting also translates to a smooth pull-up game, and Whitehead showed that he is a capable and active defender when going up against guys around his size.”

The Ringer's Kevin O’Connor also reckons the Grizzlies could go big with their 25th pick. O’Connor said that the team could do so to make up for lingering injuries to big men Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke. O’Connor suggested Alabama defensive big man Noah Clowney as a possible target in that case:

“The Grizzlies should look for more depth in the frontcourt since Steven Adams is aging and Brandon Clarke suffered a major injury last season,” O’Connor said.

“Clowney’s versatile defense is his calling card, but he also projects as either a roller or a shooter on offense. Pairing him with Jaren Jackson Jr. could allow the Grizzlies to play 5-out while retaining size, something few teams can do.”

Memphis is much less likely to find a rotation-level player at No. 45 or 56. However, they could take a flier on some high-upside project-type players. They could also package those picks along with their No. 25 pick to move up in the draft.

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Memphis Grizzlies aggressively looking to move up in 2023 NBA draft

Memphis Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman

According to Jonathan Givony, the Memphis Grizzlies are one of several teams looking to trade up in Thursday night’s draft. Givony said that the team is targeting a pick around the middle of the first round:

“Memphis is another team that is believed to be aggressively looking for opportunities to trade up into the late lottery to middle first-round portion,” Givony said.

However, that report came on June 14. So, it remains to be seen if the Grizzlies will be able to get a deal done by Thursday night.