The NBA Draft is an evening filled with excitement, which includes some wheeling and dealing by teams looking to acquire players to fill key positions. In line with that, the Memphis Grizzlies seized an opportunity to fill the gap left by the trade of Desmond Bane.
They acquired prized guard Cedric Coward in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 11th pick overall.
Memphis Trades Up for a Star Guard of the Future
ESPN’s senior insider Shams Charania reported the trade in a post on X. The Blazers selected Coward with the 11th overall pick, then dealt him to Memphis. In the trade, Memphis sent Portland the 16th pick, a 2028 first-round pick originally from the Orlando Magic, and two second-round picks.
The Grizzlies were able to secure the 16th pick, used in this trade, when they sent Desmond Bane to the Magic in a blockbuster trade on June 15, 2025, which also brought them two players and four first-round picks.
Coward played only six games for the Washington State Cougars last season after transferring from Eastern Washington, having torn the labrum in his shoulder. He led the team in scoring during that stretch, averaging 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game.
The Memphis Grizzlies newest player:
Cedric Coward – 6’6”
Averaged 17.7/7.0/3.7/1.7 at Washington State last season 🔥
— EdeyMuse (@EdeyMuse) June 26, 2025
At 6-foot-6 and 200 pounds, Coward has been highly regarded as an intriguing prospect. The 21-year-old shooting guard has demonstrated great defensive ability with lateral quickness and has shown the makings of a keen shot blocker with an impressive 7-foot-2 wingspan.
According to Sports Illustrated’s NBA Draft profile, his guard skills combined with the size of an NBA pro wingman stood out to several teams, although he was initially projected to be picked in the second round.
The Portland Trail Blazers are trading Cedric Coward at No. 11 to the Memphis Grizzlies, sources said.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 26, 2025
The shoulder injury stood out for some teams who felt as if they could not make a decision based on how little Coward played at Washington State. But college basketball analyst Jeff Goodman sang his praises in an interview with NBC Sports Boston, particularly about his self-awareness.
“In addition to what I said before, which is the versatility, the ability to guard, the ability to shoot the ball, the maturity,” Goodman said. “In the interview process, I talked to NBA guys, they were absolutely blown away by Cedric Coward and how he can probably go into any locker room and fit in any sort of position of need for these teams.”
According to reporting from local Washington news outlet King5, Coward said that his torn labrum is about 90% healed. He will join a Grizzlies team built around young stars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., who would be looking to redeem themselves from their showing in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs as the eighth seed, swept by the eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
