4 NBA Draft prospects the Grizzlies should target with newly acquired pick from Magic

The Memphis Grizzlies hit abort on the Desmond Bane project, sending him to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony and four first-round picks plus a swap. It's a massive haul of future assets, but it does weaken the immediate core.

While many speculated that Memphis might blow it up, ESPN's Shams Charania expects Memphis to keep building around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., with the latter due for an extension in the coming months.

That means we can expect Memphis to use the No. 16 pick in this month's NBA Draft, acquired as part of the Bane trade, to complement its current core. The Grizzlies' track record in the draft is a mixed bag, but this is a smart front office with a solid eye for talent — especially outside the lottery. Many claim this draft class falls off after the top 10 or so prospects, but there is always value to be mined in the middle of the first round.

Whether the Grizzlies swing for upside or look for a more polished, day-one contributor, the options will be plentiful when the No. 16 pick rolls around. Here are a few prospects that feel aligned with Memphis' goals.

Nolan Traoré can give Memphis its Ja Morant contingency plan

Nolan Traoré put together a mixed-bag season in France, but he finished strong. Still a young 19 years old, Traoré has a long runaway for development at the next level. His struggles as a finisher and scorer will give NBA scouts pause, but at 6-foot-4 in shoes with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, Traoré boasts elite physical tools for a point guard. He also has the highest assist percentage (42.8) in the 2025 draft.

It's hard to imagine a better mentor for Traoré (at least stylistically) than Morant. While Traoré is taller and far less vertically explosive, he is similarly reliant on speed and quickness. Traoré weaponizes an elite first step and incredible shiftiness to create advantages and put pressure on the rim. Morant can teach him a few tricks of the trade as a finisher. Meanwhile, Traoré's ability to manipulate a defense and make every pass in the book should keep him on the floor, even as a rookie. He can locate Memphis' shooters at full sprint or perfectly lob it in a rim-running Zach Edey's pocket.

With Morant almost guaranteed to miss 15-20 games at least every season, Traoré can give Memphis another contingency plan alongside Scotty Pippen Jr. Moreover, Traoré has the size to play alongside Morant if the Grizzlies want to double up on open-floor speed and dribble penetration. Traoré will need to prove his mettle as a spot-up shooter, but he's a quick enough processor to operate in more of a connective role while Morant runs the show.

Cedric Coward feels like the perfect upside swing for the Grizzlies

Cedric Coward won the NBA Combine, measuring out to 6-foot-6 in shoes with a massive 7-foot-2 wingspan. He has earned comps to Kawhi Leonard in terms of raw physical tools, and there is a similar air of mystery to Coward as a prospect. After starting his collegiate career in D-III, Coward spent two years flying under the radar at Eastern Washington. In 2024, he finally hit the grand stage at Washington State — only to suffer a season-ending injury six games into the season.

So, we have only seen six games of Coward with a major program, none against real powerhouse schools. He was committed to Duke in the transfer portal, but after generating enough buzz at the Combine, Coward reversed course and stuck in the draft. Now he's getting looks as high as the lottery.

Should he fall to Memphis at No. 16, this feels like an appropriate intersection of tools, immediate skill and upside. It's rare to label a 21-year-old as the "upside swing," but Coward does have a lot of room left to grow into his frame. He's already a proficient shooter, an active multi-positional defender and a slick connective passer. If he can sharpen his handle and start to generate more opportunities scoring around the rim, there's some fringe star upside. At the very least, he looks like a potential starter on the wing long term.

Memphis needs wing depth, always, especially with Bane out of the equation and KCP offering little more than a momentary stopgap. Coward is a swing, but one worth taking.

Nique Clifford brings immediate versatility to the Grizzlies lineup

If the Grizzlies want an immediate contributor, Nique Clifford is the move. He will be 23 on draft night, which is historically a compromising number in terms of long-term upside, but Clifford has steadfastly improved across five college seasons. By the end of his final campaign at Colorado State, Clifford was among the most well-rounded and productive stars in college basketball, leading the Rams to an unexpected Mountain West championship and even an NCAA Tournament victory.

At 6-foot-6 with tons of functional athleticism and a supremely balanced skill set, Clifford feels like an easy plug-and-play bet for the Grizzlies. He can hit spot-up 3s, make plays off screens, attack the rim with straight-line speed, and produce on backdoor cuts and other off-ball actions. He's a smart, savvy and selfless player, comfortable adapting to whatever is needed of him on the floor.

Clifford did not experience the highest levels of competition at the NCAA level, but he showed up in the tournament and it's hard to poke holes in the breadth of his skill set. He's a creative passer, a much improved ball-handler, and one of the most disruptive wing defenders in the draft. We saw Memphis opt for experience and readiness last summer with Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells. Clifford would be a smart pick in that vein.

Noah Penda could give Memphis the perfect frontcourt complement to JJJ, Zach Edey

With Santi Aldama in free agency and the Grizzlies still waiting on GG Jackson's breakout, the forward and wing rotation post-Desmond Bane is a bit thin. That brings us to French 20-year-old Noah Penda, who is producing in a top professional league overseas and whose skill set feels tailor-made to the modern NBA.

At 6-foot-8 and 242 pounds, Penda provides an incredible blend of strength and agility on the wing. He's not the most fleet of foot against quick-twitch guards, but Penda can switch around the perimeter and keep his feet squared to most ball-handlers. He's a highly disciplined and disruptive off-ball defender as well, with the length to block shots from the weak side or blow up passing lanes.

In addition to his stellar defensive profile, Penda offers strong connective tissue offensively, with real dribble-pass-shoot equity on the wing. He's still workshopping his jumper a bit, but it looks smooth enough to translate in time. As a passer, Penda is impressively creative, with rapid-fire processing speed and the ability to exploit his unique vantage point as a wing. Penda will screen, cut, move into open space and attack simple advantages with his strength. He may not be a star, but a long-term rotation wing feels very much like his NBA future.