Grizzlies to acquire No. 11 pick, take player coming off shoulder injury

Washington State forward Cedric Coward is the No. 11 overall pick, but he won’t remain with the Portland Trail Blazers. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Portland is sending the selection to the Memphis Grizzlies.

In exchange for No. 11, the Blazers are acquiring the 16th overall pick, a future first-rounder, and two second-round selections, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

Coward played just six games at Washington State in 2024-25 before suffering a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the remainder of his senior season. He averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 55.7% from the floor and 40.0% on three-pointers during his abridged stint with the Cougars.

Before transferring to Washington State, the 6-foot-6 wing played two years at Eastern Washington, averaging 11.3 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 66 games. He spent his freshman season at Willamette University in Oregon.

Due to his lack of reps against high-level college competition, Coward was ranked outside of the first round by a number of draft experts earlier this year, but improved his standing during the pre-draft process, impressing NBA teams at last month’s combine and at workouts.

Coward has the makings of a strong pick for the Grizzlies, who are seemingly re-tooling around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. after sending away Desmond Bane to Orlando in a blockbuster earlier this month. The Washington State alum has a tremendous frame and a good-looking three-point shot that connects at a high rate.

The Grizzlies had the ammunition to go up and get a player they coveted after that Bane trade. The future first being sent to Portland is Orlando’s 2028 selection, per Charania.

This move makes sense for both sides on paper. The Grizzlies get a player who can contribute early on his career, if he’s fully recovered from that shoulder injury at the start of the season. In return, Portland collects a first and additional ammo to move down five slots. 

The Trail Blazers have an impressive defense, and their better-than-expected 36-46 record last year reflects the growth of their young core led by the likes of Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan. With no obvious holes and the opportunity to be patient, moving down looks like a sound transaction.