The Memphis Grizzlies organization is looking forward to the 2026-27 campaign, and so is Zack Eddy. According to ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel, the second-year center is officially out for the remainder of this season after undergoing ankle surgery on Tuesday. Hopefully he makes a full recovery, but the team clearly wanted to take a long-term look at him before heading into the offseason.
After an impressive rookie year in which he averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 21.5 minutes per contest, Eddy only played in 11 games and did not take the court at all in 2026. However, the Purdue legend excelled when active. He recorded five double-doubles, scored 32 points on 16 of 20 shooting in a win against the Sacramento Kings on November 30, and posted 66 boards during a four-game road trip. So, fans have good reason to be excited about his development.
Still, there’s always some degree of concern when a 7-plus-foot player misses extended time early in his NBA career. Eddy played 138 games for the Boilermakers during his history-making collegiate tenure, but it only takes one major injury to start a cruel sequence of bad luck. Hopefully, this surgery will prevent further damage and bring the two-time Wooden Award winner back to life.
The silver lining to the Zach Eddy news is that the Grizzlies should increase their chances of getting a valuable pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. If everything goes in their favor, they may get an opportunity to bolster an exciting young core with top-five talent.
Ideally, both the 23-year-old big man and a new Memphis squad will be better positioned for continued success after an offseason of recovery and reflection.
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