Memphis Grizzlies Draft Cedric Coward with No. 11 Pick

At Wednesday’s 2025 draft, the Portland Trail Blazers traded away their No. 11 pick to the Memphis Grizzlies.

After shipping away Desmond Bane, Memphis is making moves to stay competitive now, but also build for the future.

Wednesday, the team added Cedric Coward with the No. 11 pick, continuing to build out its roster ahead of an exciting 2025-26 season.

One of the most underrated players in this class, Coward's measurables make him special. He is the perfect NBA swingman with two-way upside and a real chance to contibute from day one as a rookie. At minimum, he will provide reliable perimeter shooting and disruptive defense using his length.

The Trail Blazers have certainly been no strangers to the NBA Draft in recent years, grabbing players like Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan and more in the last half-decade.

While the team underachieved somewhat in the West last year, they certainly got better as the season progressed, by the end putting out a stingy defensive product. At the very least, Portland should be a fun team to watch next year with wily veterans and rapidly improving youngsters.

Per an earlier scouting report from NBA Draft on SI: Coward is a do-it-all wing who can impact the game in many ways. He plays so much bigger than his height, despite having great positional size at 6-foot-6. He shot the ball great in college and was a remarkable free throw shooter.

No. 11 was Portland’s only pick of the draft, though the second round will commence on Thursday, June 26. The next major milestone in the NBA offseason will be the 2025 NBA 2K25 Summer League held in Las Vegas, NV, which will take place from July 10-20.