The Memphis Grizzlies will be picking No. 3 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft following the lottery results on May 10.
Memphis entered the day with the sixth-best odds to acquire the No. 1 overall pick and a 37.2% chance to land in the top four. The Grizzlies’ most likely landing spot had been 29.7% at No. 7 and 20.6% at No. 8.
This is the third time the Grizzlies will be choosing in the lottery with their own pick since 2019. Memphis drafted Ja Morant No. 2 overall in 2019 and Zach Edey ninth in 2024.
Grizzlies vice president of basketball affairs Tayshaun Prince represented the team during the on-stage presentation. General manager and president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman was in the drawing room for the Grizzlies during the process.
The 2026 NBA Draft will be held on June 23 and 24 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Grizzlies now have three picks in the top 35, which includes their lottery choice, No. 16 and No. 32 overall. Memphis is the only NBA team with three picks in the top 35.
This draft will be a pivotal turning point for the franchise. Memphis is hoping to land a player who can help lead the team in the next era.
Edey, Cedric Coward, Cam Spencer and Jaylen Wells are recent draft picks who have been mentioned as potential pieces of the future by Kleiman. The Grizzlies will now look to add more players who can help expedite the potential rebuild.
Names to watch
Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU wing AJ Dybantsa, North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson and Duke forward Cam Boozer are among the players who have been in the top four in most mock drafts. The Grizzlies will have a strong chance to secure one of these players.
Grizzlies draft history
This is the first time the Grizzlies have had the No. 3 pick in franchise history. They have had the No. 2 pick five times, but only twice since the team moved to Memphis in 2001. They have never held the No. 1 pick.
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
