After the May 10 lottery, the Memphis Grizzlies won the No. 3 overall selection for the 2026 NBA Draft, setting up a key offseason.
Memphis will be starting its 2026 NBA Draft plans from a position it hasn’t had before: the Grizzlies have landed the No. 3 overall pick after the lottery results on May 10.
Memphis entered the day with the sixth-best odds to secure the top prize.. At the time. the team’s path to first overall was tied to a 37.2% chance. while its most likely alternatives had been pegged at No.. 7 (29.7%) and No.. 8 (20.6%).. In the end, the bounce landed them closer to the top of the board than their pre-lottery expectations suggested.
This marks the third time Memphis will make its selection in the lottery using its own pick since 2019. The organization previously used that advantage to draft Ja Morant with the No. 2 overall pick in 2019 and Zach Edey with the ninth pick in 2024.
On stage for the lottery presentation, Grizzlies vice president of basketball affairs Tayshaun Prince represented the team. Around the process, general manager and president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman was present in the drawing room for Memphis.
The NBA Draft itself is scheduled for June 23 and 24 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.. With the No.. 3 pick now set. Memphis is also entering draft night with additional early-round flexibility. holding three picks in the top 35: the lottery selection at No.. 3, plus selections at No.. 16 and No.. 32.
Having that concentration of picks is a significant structural advantage. The report noted that Memphis is the only NBA team with three selections in the top 35, a rare alignment that can reshape a roster quickly if the front office chooses well across different draft ranges.
For the franchise, the lottery outcome is being viewed as a pivotal turning point for its next phase. The Grizzlies are aiming to add a player capable of helping guide the team’s direction in the coming era, with the No. 3 pick positioned as a potential centerpiece for that plan.
Memphis’ broader roster building approach is also already in view through recent draft references tied to Kleiman. Edey, Cedric Coward, Cam Spencer, and Jaylen Wells were all identified in the report as players who have been discussed as potential building blocks for the future.
Now. with the odds delivered and the pick order clarified. Memphis is expected to continue searching for additional pieces that can accelerate a potential rebuild.. The logic is straightforward: when a team has early selections across multiple spots. it can target both immediate impact and longer-term development without relying on a single player to solve everything at once.
Attention in the lead-up to the draft remains focused on prospects who have frequently shown up near the top in projection models.. Kansas guard Darryn Peterson. BYU wing AJ Dybantsa. North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson. and Duke forward Cam Boozer were among the names noted as players who have been in the top four in most mock drafts.
Because the Grizzlies’ pick landed at No.. 3. Memphis has a strong chance to secure at least one of those draft targets that have been repeatedly connected to the upper tier.. That possibility matters not just for immediate selection. but for how the team can pair a high pick with its other choices at No.. 16 and No.. 32.
Grizzlies draft history adds another layer to the moment.. The report stated this is the first time in franchise history Memphis has held the No.. 3 pick.. The organization has claimed the No.. 2 pick five times, though only twice since the team moved to Memphis in 2001, and it has never held the No.. 1 selection.
While draft lottery outcomes are often remembered for the number itself. this one carries added emotional weight for a franchise that hasn’t previously been in this exact spot.. Landing No.. 3 for the first time since moving to Memphis underscores how unusual the combination of odds and timing has been. and why the organization is treating the 2026 Draft as a major inflection point.
With the event set for late June in Brooklyn, Memphis now moves from lottery night to preparation: evaluating how the top targets fit within its plans, and how its additional top-35 picks can be used to build a more complete roster for the next era.
Memphis Grizzlies 2026 NBA Draft lottery No. 3 pick Zach Kleiman Barclays Center draft Tayshaun Prince NBA playoffs rebuild