Grizzlies select Ziaire Williams with No. 10 pick in 2021 NBA Draft

The Memphis Grizzlies select Stanford F Ziaire Williams with the No. 10 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The Grizzlies acquired the 10th pick in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Grizzlies made the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season, but it was a quick exit. Memphis lost to the No. 1 seed Utah Jazz in five games in a first round matchup. They finished the regular season with a 38-34 record, which was the ninth best record in the Western Conference. They beat the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors in consecutive games during the play-in tournament to make it to the first round of the playoffs. The Grizzlies are on the right trajectory as an organization with plenty of young talent led by Ja Morant. He will be just 22 years old when the 2021-22 season starts, and he appears to be a real star in this league.

Memphis should return plenty of their top players from their roster next season, and we’ll see how active they are in the offseason. They should automatically upgrade the team just by getting Jaren Jackson Jr. healthy, as he was expected to make a big impact but missed most of the season with an injury.

Memphis Grizzlies 2021 NBA Draft picks

No. 10, first round (via NOP): Ziaire Williams, F, Stanford
No. 30, first round: Santi Aldama, C, Loyola-Maryland
No. 40, second round (via NOP):

Fantasy basketball outlook

Ziaire Williams — Williams could prove to be a bold pick for the Grizz, as he was somewhat inconsistent and struggled to find his true role in his freshman season at Stanford. Regardless, he has a lot of potential with great vision of the court and is a very strong passer, picking out teammates at the most opportune times, especially off of pick-and-rolls. He’s not the strongest shooter so there’s plenty of room for improvement there, but chances are he probably won’t be a big fantasy player in the short term especially near the beginning of the season.

Santi Aldama — He’s not likely to get much playing time right away, but Aldama has some great tools and tantalizing potential for Memphis. He has the ability to space the floor, but also possesses the size to make plays in the post. This was a surprising pick for the Grizzlies, but Aldama could pay off if he develops properly. He probably won’t offer much in terms of fantasy value this season, but Aldama is worth monitoring as the season goes on.