What happened to Zach Edey? Closer look at Grizzlies rookie's mid-game exit vs Pelicans during Summer League

Zach Edey of the Memphis Grizzlies exited Thursday's Summer League game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Edey suffered a right ankle injury in the second quarter and had to leave the floor. Let's take a close look at what happened to the Grizzlies' prized rookie.

In the video below, Edey was seen defending Jordan Ford with around three minutes left in the second quarter. He tried to block Ford's floater but couldn't reach it. He then landed on the Pelicans guard's foot and sprained his ankle badly.

The Canadian big man immediately grabbed his ankle and his facial expression said it all. And to make matters worse, Edey was also called for the foul and Ford made his shot for the and-1.

Thursday night was also Edey's debut in the 2024 Las Vegas Summer League. He had six points, three rebounds and one block before going down with the injury. He also went 3-for-3 from the field.

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Zach Edey not limping as he heads to the locker room

The good news for the Memphis Grizzlies was Zach Edey was not visibly limping when he was taken to the locker room for further examination. Edey did not return to the game but the Grizzlies managed to overwhelm the New Orleans Pelicans to get the 88-77 victory.

Memphis improved to 4-0 in the Las Vegas Summer League and is moving on to the next round. They are likely going into it with Edey, who made his Las Vegas debut on Thursday. He was ruled out as a precaution in the first three games because of an ankle injury suffered in his first game at the Salt Lake City Summer League.

Edey was very durable during his time with Purdue, so the Grizzlies will need to find a way for him to stay healthy. He is expected to play a huge role in Memphis given that they don't have any other natural centers in their current roster.

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Zach Edey is the favorite to win Rookie of the Year award

Because of his natural fit with the Memphis Grizzlies and a proven track record in Purdue, Zach Edey is currently the favorite to win the 2024 Rookie of the Year award. Covers.com has him at +600 just slightly ahead of top picks Alexandre Sarr and Zaccarie Risacher.

Other candidates include Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs, Reed Sheppard of the Houston Rockets and Dalton Knecht of the LA Lakers. Sheppard has been fantastic for the Rockets in the Summer League, but he might not have the same minutes since he'll be behind Fred VanVleet in the rotation.

As for Edey, he'll still probably hover in the top three despite the injury, especially if it's not a major ankle sprain.