Five takeaways from Memphis Grizzlies 2025 NBA Draft class player introductions

Yahoo

02-07-2025

The Memphis Grizzlies' three-man draft class stood side by side as they posed for photos. There was Cedric Coward, Javon Small and Jahmai Mashack.
General manager Zach Kleiman was at one end, coach Tuomas Iisalo at the other.
Advertisement
Once the photos were done, the players headed out of the conference room and were greeted by Grizzlies forward GG Jackson, who dapped them up. Kleiman joked that Jackson, who is still 20, is younger than all three of the 2025 draft picks.
And that is true.
This draft class features three players with multiple years of collegiate basketball experience, and all of them looked comfortable sitting in front of a contingent of local media members.
Here are five takeaways from the introductory news conference at FedExForum on June 27.
The rookies did their homework
Call Memphis a small market, or complain about the Grizzlies' lack of national TV games, but none of that stopped these rookies from knowing about their new team.
Advertisement
Coward, the No. 11 pick, again referenced "grit and grind" when speaking about his knowledge of Memphis. He also brought up the name for the grouping of Tony Allen, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Zach Randolph.
"They had the Core Four, which I'm pretty sure all of us grew up watching," Coward said. "I just want to be a part of that as well and just have a positive impact, no matter what."
Mashack, who grew up in California, spent a lot of his childhood watching Allen.
"He might not be the most popular person to watch for a lot of people, but for me, it was something special," Mashack said.
Small mentioned how the Grizzlies have a nice mix of young and veteran players.
Advertisement
"I'm just ready to get in and compete," he said. "I think that's what everybody wants to do."
Summer league next?
Summer league action for the Grizzlies will begin on July 5 in Salt Lake City before they go to the Las Vegas league. Each of the rookies are in different positions in terms of their potential availability.
Coward, who is in the final stages of recovering from a shoulder injury, is expected to be "TBD" for summer league, Kleiman said.
Mashack, who was acquired in a Day 2 trade and taken at No. 59, is still waiting on the deal to be finalized. Once that is done, he is expected to be able to join the team.
Advertisement
As for Small, he's good to go and will be with the Grizzlies for summer league.
Cedric Coward's personality shines bright
Coward certainly isn't camera shy. When the rookies entered the conference room, he looked over to the media members and waved his hand, flashing a big smile.
He talked about his admiration for cooking tacos and wings, among other things.
That personality and looseness is part of what got Coward to Memphis. He mentioned multiple times that he wants to keep doing the things that got him here. While he was mostly was talking about his basketball work, having that bubbly personality will make him a fan favorite in no time.
Tuomas Iisalo getting new pieces
Iisalo spoke publicly for the first time since his promotion from an interim role. He said he's excited about the new group as the Grizzlies aim to get more athletic and add positional length.
Advertisement
"They fit in very well with what we want to do," he said. "Each one of them have multiple developmental pathways, how they can improve."
Iisalo will be coaching the Grizzlies during summer league.
Jahmai Mashack's confidence
Evident by his admiration for Allen, Mashack likes to get after it on the defensive end. He was regarded as one of the best defenders in the draft class, but lasted until the final pick because he didn't put up strong offensive numbers. In 38 starts as a senior, he averaged 6.0 points and 1.5 assists per game.
He knows his offense will be a big talking point, but the new Grizzlies guard sounds confident in his ability to shoot the ball. Mashack called his shooting "underrated." At Tennessee, he took 1.5 3-pointers per game and made 35.1%.
Advertisement
"I know what I'm capable of," he said. "I know that I'm a solid shooter. I know I'm growing to be even better. I know if I can get that in my game, I'm going to be a great and complete player in this league."
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [e-mail]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies 2025 NBA Draft class introduced at FedExForum