Zach Edey Played 11 Games Last Season. His Return Is the Grizzlies' Biggest Story of the Week

For a team that spent the summer tearing down the roster and starting over, the Memphis Grizzlies just got the one piece of news that matters more than any trade return: Zach Edey is back on the floor.

Edey, the 7-foot-plus center, missed most of last season with a persistent left ankle problem. He played just 11 games before a stress reaction led to another surgery in March — this after an offseason procedure the year before. In those brief 11 appearances, he averaged 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in only 25.8 minutes per night. That's a per-minute impact Memphis hasn't been able to replace.

This week, that long rehabilitation finally reached its payoff. Edey was cleared to make his preseason debut against the Orlando Magic, and head coach Tuomas Iisalo described the recovery as a "best-case scenario." After two ankle surgeries in under a year, the big man is simply on an NBA court again — and for a franchise in the opening chapter of a rebuild, that counts as a genuine inflection point.

Why This Week Mattered

The Grizzlies are unrecognizable from the team that won 51 and 56 games earlier this decade. They've traded away Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., and even Desmond Bane was moved to Orlando in 2025 for a package headlined by four first-round picks. Last season produced a 25-57 record and a point margin of minus-493. This is a full reset, and the centerpiece is rookie Cameron Boozer, the No. 3 overall pick out of Duke.

Boozer's early reviews have been strong — a successful preseason debut, a solid follow-up, and widespread praise for how he carries himself. But a young lead scorer needs structure around him, and Edey provides exactly that: a defensive anchor, a rebounder, and a vertical threat who can cover for Boozer's learning curve on that end. The two form the most important partnership on the roster.

The Wrinkle

The week wasn't all encouraging. Isaiah Stewart — brought in this offseason to add frontcourt toughness — suffered a left ankle sprain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. With Edey's own injury history, Memphis can't afford to thin out its interior. Every healthy big man matters, and Stewart's absence, even a short one, puts more weight on Edey's shoulders right out of the gate.

What It Means Going Forward

Memphis enters the season projected near the bottom of the Western Conference, with a win total sitting at 29.5. That's the honest read on a roster this young. But the gap between a rebuild that stalls and one that accelerates usually comes down to whether the young core gets to play together — and health is the swing factor.

Boozer is already drawing real Rookie of the Year attention. Edey's return gives that pursuit a legitimate running mate and gives Iisalo a defensive identity to build around. If both big men stay on the floor, the Grizzlies' timeline could move faster than the projections suggest. If Edey's ankle betrays him again, the rebuild gets a lot harder to sell.

For one week, at least, the news in Memphis was finally about what's on the court — not what was traded off it.