Zach Edey on Ankle Surgery: 'It Had To Be Done. I Really Needed It'

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Zach Edey showed up in Las Vegas this week to support his Memphis Grizzlies teammates playing the NBA Summer League. He brought along his walking boot, too.

Edey, the former two-time National Player of the Year at Purdue, had surgery on his left ankle in early June. Five weeks later, he said he's doing much better, but he's still expected to miss three or four months, and there's a chance he'll miss the start of the 2025-26 regular season.

"There's no exact timeline right now. I'm just doing all the rehabbing right now, and working hard at it,'' Edey told Purdue Boilermakers on SI in Las Vegas prior to the Grizzlies' game with the Boston Celtics. "It had to be done. I really needed it. That ankle has been giving me trouble for quite a while now, so I'm really optimistic that it'll be a lot stronger once I'm back to full-go.''

Edey was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and had an outstanding rookie season with the Grizzlies. He played in 66 games, starting 55, and averaged 9.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Memphis finished 48-34 in the regular season, and beat the Dallas Mavericks in a Play-In game to reach the NBA playoffs. They were swept in the first round by Oklahoma City, who won the NBA title six weeks later.

Edey said his left ankle has given him trouble for several years, and that he's sprained it often. The surgery should give the 7-foot-4, 305-pound big man a stronger base.

''They were happy with how the surgery went, so I'm really looking forward to getting back out there. I just have to be patient.''

Edey, sporting a beard now, signed autographs for kids before the game.