A second left-ankle operation shelves the 7-4 rookie for the year, clouds Memphis’ playoff push, and raises fresh questions about whether the No. 9 pick can stay healthy enough to anchor the paint.
Zach Edey is headed back to the operating table. The Memphis Grizzlies confirmed Sunday night that their 7-foot-4 center will undergo a second procedure on the same left ankle that already cost him the first six weeks of the season, effectively closing the book on his 2025-26 schedule at just 11 appearances.
Why a second surgery, and why now?
Team doctors and three outside specialists concluded that the initial June operation—meant to stabilize a stress reaction—did not resolve underlying laxity in the deltoid ligaments on the inside of the ankle. That looseness has kept the talar bone irritated, producing pain every time Edey cuts, jumps or plants. Reinforcing the medial-ligament complex is designed to stop the micro-motion that prevents the bone from fully healing. The Grizzlies termed it a “preventive fusion” rather than an emergency measure, but the message is clear: without it, the problem only worsens.
The numbers that matter
- 11 – NBA games played this season.
- 13.6 pts, 11.1 reb, 1.9 blk – Edey’s per-game averages when he did suit up.
- 63.4 – His true-shooting percentage, best among Memphis rotation regulars.
- 0 – Games since Dec. 7; discomfort flared after a 17-reboard effort versus Denver.
- 12 – Games missed as a rookie last year with a left-ankle sprain, foreshadowing today’s issues.
Collateral damage in the standings
Memphis entered March sixth in the West at 36-27 but has lost six of eight since Edey last played. Opponents have shot 64.8 percent inside five feet over that stretch, the league’s worst mark, NBA.com tracking data shows. Without Edey’s rim deterrence, coach Taylor Jenkins has been forced to play smaller lineups featuring Jaren Jackson Jr. at the five, bleeding second-chance points and sliding toward the play-in cluster.
What the locker room is saying
Veteran point guard Ja Morant told reporters after Sunday’s win over Houston that the club “had a hunch this was coming” once swelling returned following the Denver game. Morant’s message to Edey: “Get right, big dog; we need you for years, not weeks.” Front-office sources echoed that timeline stance, insisting there is no thought of shopping the 22-year-old despite the injury red flags.
Front-office ripple effects
Cap-wise, Edey’s rookie-scale deal ($7.9 M, $8.3 M, $10.9 M team option) is still one of the NBA’s best bargains, so the franchise won’t punt on development. Still, Memphis now owns two expiring contracts—Brandon Clarke (re-evaluated in two weeks with a calf strain) and reserve center Xavier Tillman Sr.—that suddenly become trade chips if the playoff push tightens. League executives believe the Grizzlies will monitor the buyout market for a stop-gap big rather than surrender draft equity before Thursday’s deadline.
Long-term prognosis: can a 7-4 frame hold up?
Medical studies on athletes taller than 7-2 show a three-fold spike in ankle-ligament trauma because lever arms lengthen torque on joints. Edey’s combine weight (299 lbs) compounds stress each time he lands. The good news: no cartilage loss was detected in the latest imaging, and specialists consider isolated ligament reinforcement a proven fix—Brook Lopez returned to All-Star form after a similar 2013 procedure. The concern is cumulative; another flare-up could push Memphis toward load-management days and a minutes cap for the remainder of his rookie contract.
Fan-base flashpoints
- Would Memphis have been better off drafting Donovan Clingan at seven instead of moving down?
- Does this accelerate a pivot toward small-ball five full-time for Jackson, a former DPOY?
- Should the G-League Hustle experiment with Edey in short stints next year to control outings?
Bottom line
The Grizzlies still believe Zach Edey is their long-term answer at center, but his rookie year is now a medical write-off rather than a momentum-builder. The organization’s playoff fate this spring will hinge on internal growth, not the towering Purdue product who was supposed to fortify the paint. If the second surgery delivers the advertised stability, Memphis reloads in 2026-27 with a motivated 23-year-old who has tasted only 69 NBA minutes since mid-December. Until then, the FedExForum crowd will have to dream on the glimpses: 13-and-11 lines, instant tip dunks, and the potential of a supersized core that has yet to stay whole.
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