The Memphis Grizzlies walked out of the NBA Draft with three new players and a pile of future second-round picks. But the most surreal moment might have come from a 24-year-old rookie who already sounds like he needs a rocking chair in the locker room.
Richie Saunders, taken at No. 32 out of BYU, is older than several guys on the roster. And he knows it.
“It took a little bit but I’m here. I think last year, playing around and being with younger players, and to be able to help guide them in the ways I’ve seen, just using my experience in the game, it’s been great,” Saunders said in a video posted by ABC4 News’ Travis Green. “I’m gonna come on and use the previous experience that I’ve had over the years, really focus here, and hopefully be able to guide some of my young teammates as a rookie. It’s funny saying my young teammates, but that’s what it is.”
He’s not wrong. Memphis rolled into the season with an average roster age of 24.95 years old, one of the lowest marks in the league. So a 24-year-old with five years of college ball can legitimately look around the room and see guys who still need directions to the weight room.
Draft Haul Goes Deeper Than Just Boozer
Cameron Boozer was the headliner at No. 3 and everyone knows that. Duke forward, name recognition, rebuilding cornerstone — that part writes itself. The Grizzlies also grabbed Mexican prospect Karim Lopez at No. 21 and Saunders at 32, then flipped some picks in back-to-back trades with Oklahoma City and Detroit to pick up five more future second-rounders.
Lopez and Saunders both have to prove themselves in summer league and training camp. Saunders might have the tougher road because Memphis is absurdly deep in the backcourt. Ja Morant, Ty Jerome, Cedric Coward, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cam Spencer, Scotty Pippen Jr., Walter Clayton Jr., and Javon Small are all fighting for minutes. That’s a lot of bodies.
But Saunders brings a resume that justifies the look. In his senior year at BYU, he put up career-best averages of 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 steals. He made the All-Big 12 Second Team alongside a talented group that included AJ Dybantsa and Robert Wright III. That core led the Cougars to a 23-12 record and an at-large NCAA Tournament bid, even if they got bounced in the first round.
Young Team, Old Head
The funny thing is, Saunders might actually serve as a mentor. Not because he’s been in the NBA — he hasn’t — but because he’s been through the college grind, transferred, developed, and figured out how to produce consistently at a high level. That’s experience you can’t rush. And in a locker room full of 20- and 21-year-olds, that counts for something.
Whether he cracks the rotation right away is another question. Memphis has options. But for a second-round pick who’s already calling himself a veteran before his first training camp practice, the vibe is clear: he’s ready to help however he can.
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