Cedric Coward Sends Ja Morant Message After Grizzlies' NBA Draft Trade
Cedric Coward Sends Ja Morant Message After Grizzlies' NBA Draft Trade originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Memphis Grizzlies aren't resting on their laurels after getting swept in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder. After shipping out Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic, they moved up from pick No. 16 to No. 11 to select Washington State forward Cedric Coward on Wednesday.
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The 6-foot-5-inch, 213-pounder joins Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant in Memphis, two All-Stars who have one playoff series win between them. His 7-foot-2-inch wingspan adds more length to the squad's frontcourt, although he'll have to shake off some rust, as he played just six games this past season before injuring his shoulder.
Coward spoke about Morant and Jackson after getting drafted, via The Commercial Appeal's Damichael Cole.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) and forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13).© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
'They're one of the best duos in the league," he said.
Morant averaged 23.2 points on 45.4 percent shooting (30.9 percent 3 PT) with 4.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists this past season, while Jackson posted 22.2 points on 48.8 percent shooting (37.5 percent 3 PT) with 5.6 rebounds and two assists.
Memphis went 48-34 in the regular season and earned the Western Conference's eighth seed. The club lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first Play-In game before beating the Dallas Mavericks in the second.
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Coward averaged 12 points on 59.3 percent shooting (38.6 percent 3 PT) with 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists over four collegiate seasons. Before Washington State, the 21-year-old played for Eastern Washington and Williamette.
The Grizzlies traded the No. 16 pick, a 2028 first-rounder via the Orlando Magic, and two second-rounders to get Coward.
Related: Knicks-Grizzlies Trade Report Surfaces After Desmond Bane Move
Related: Grizzlies Trade Report Drops After Jaren Jackson Jr. Decision
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
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CBS News
9 minutes ago
- CBS News
Best players available for Celtics early in the second round of NBA Draft
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NBA Draft surprises, explained: Ace Bailey's slight slip, Nets make odd reaches and more
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Then, their draft-night deal with the Hawks left everybody wondering if newly hired president of basketball operations Joe Dumars and general manager Troy Weaver know that these moves are final once they're called into the league's front office. Here are the details: Queen is going to be a good pro, and he might even end up being an All-Star-caliber power forward in the league. That's not at all a bad ceiling for the 13th pick. I like that they valued him. The problem, though, is they have this guy named Williamson with three years and $126 million left on his deal. They pretty much play the same position. And, if you want to have any semblance of a defense, you're not going to play them together. Williamson's deal isn't guaranteed if he's waived before July 15, due to a games played clause. That's how it'll be for each of the next three years. They could also try to trade him, but there's not much value. That's not even that bad part of this deal. 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We still have a ton of high-upside prospects remaining. I know what you're wondering: 'Aren't there supposed to be 30 picks in each round?' Well, the Knicks lost their 2025 second-round pick for tampering in the signing of Jalen Brunson. These are my favorite prospects left on the board: Rasheer Fleming | Saint Joseph's | Forward/Big I think the 3-point shot he sported as a junior is real enough, he can play some defense and he's a good rebounder with potential to become a great rotation guy. Chaz Lanier | Tennessee | Guard He can light it up from downtown. He shot 41.4 percent on over 500 3-point attempts during his final two college years. Noah Penda | France | Wing/Forward He's a physical wing who should be able to defend multiple positions. If he can hit the 3-point shot, he'll be a second-round steal. Maxime Raynaud | Stanford | Big He learned how to shoot a little bit from the outside, he can score, he's big and he's a good rebounder. At worst, he's your backup center. Ryan Nembhard | Gonzaga | Guard My favorite question asked to me about Nembhard was 'Why can't he be a T.J. McConnell?' His Pacers comparison wasn't even to his own brother! Don't forget to check out the players Sam Vecenie mocks for Round 2! Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
10 minutes ago
Fleming, Raynaud, Penda headline the list of best available players entering Round 2 of NBA draft
Freshmen dominated the first round of the NBA draft. That squeezed out some veteran college big men. St. Joseph's junior Rasheer Fleming, Stanford senior Maxime Raynaud, and fifth-year seniors in Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner and Auburn's Johni Broome are among those waiting to hear their name called entering the second round. Bigs made up eight of the 30 first-round picks, with 18 freshmen and six international prospects taking up most of the slots. Here's a look at top prospects available when the two-day format resumes with Minnesota on the clock Thursday night: The 6-foot-8, 232-pound junior is coming off a productive season that included averaging 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds for career-best outputs. He tied for fourth at the combine with a better than 7-5 wingspan, helping him average 1.5 blocks over the last two seasons. He also proved he could stretch his range, going from shooting 31.3% on 3-pointers in his first two college seasons to 39% last year. Notably, he performed well in catch-and-shoot situations (in the 79th percentile) and finishing at the rim (89th percentile), according to Synergy's analytics data. The 7-footer from France is a skilled a skilled 7-footer who averaged 20.2 points and 10.6 rebounds, putting himself alongside eventual No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg of Duke as the only unanimous first-team picks on The Associated Press' All-Atlantic Coast Conference first team. He has a rangy skillset. He rated in Synergy's 78th percentile in converting on post-up chances, shooting 50.7% in those scenarios, while the 84th percentile for spot-up shooting. That showed in him making 67 3-pointers in 35 games last year. The 6-8, 225-pound forward offers inside-out versatility and defensive potential. The 20-year-old averaged 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 33 games last year in France's top league, rating as 'very good' by Synergy in halfcourt settings. Penda also led the team in steals (1.3) and blocks (0.9), and showed playmaking ability with his nifty passing. The 7-1, 257 pound player has long been a productive post presence, averaging 14.5 points and 2.4 blocks while shooting 65.8% through five college seasons. He shot 58.5% in post-up situations to rank in Synergy's 87th percentile, and made 37 3-pointers in the last two years to show ability to step outside. The AP third-team All-American started last season with 49 points in a game last year (second-most in Division I), and he had the combine's second-longest wingspan (7-6). The 6-3, 202-pound senior was an AP second-team All-American last year who averaged 19.2 points and 5.9 assists in a bigger role. He was particularly good as the ball handler in the pick-and-roll, shooting 50.8% in those situations to rank in Synergy's 85th percentile while also performing well in finishing at the rim and in spot-up chances. The four-year veteran missed two career games and was a finalist last year for the Cousy Award presented to the nation's top point guard. Broome offers an example of how elite college production doesn't always equate to NBA potential. The 6-9, 249-pound big man was a first-team AP All-American averaging 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks for a Final Four team, part of an impressive rise from starting his five-year career at Morehead State. Yet Broome plays below the rim and lacks elite athleticism, tying for the combine's second-lowest max vertical leap (28.0). Synergy ranked his jumper as 'below average," raising uncertainty about his ability to stretch defenses (27.8% on 3s last year) and create space. —ADOU THIERO: The 6-6, 218-pound forward from Arkansas averaged 15.1 points and 5.8 rebounds in a leading role as a junior with the Razorbacks under John Calipari, coming after spending two years under Calipari at Kentucky. The versatile athlete has a 7-foot wingspan. —TYRESE PROCTOR: The 6-4, 183-pound junior from Duke can play on or off the ball while bringing defense and outside shooting. Last year he averaged 12.4 points and 40.5% shooting on 3s, though he struggled in each of the Blue Devils' season-ending losses in the 2024 Elite Eight and 2025 Final Four (2 for 17 shooting in those games). —JOHN TONJE: The 6-5, 212 pound guard is coming off a sixth college season in a career that began with four seasons at Colorado state, one injury-shortened season at Missouri and finally a big year with Wisconsin. Tonje was an AP second-team All-American last year and shot well on 3s (37.8%) and free throws (85.8%) in 167 college games. —JAMIR WATKINS: The 6-5, 215-pound guard proved to be a reliable scorer in two seasons with Florida State, averaging 17.0 points in 65 games. He spent two seasons and a redshirt year at VCU. —BOGOLJUB MARKOVIC: The 6-11, 190-pound big played last year for Mega Basket in his home country of Serbia. He'll need bulk on a lean frame but he offers intriguing perimeter skills and 3-point range.
