This article has been updated to provide more clarity.
Memphis Grizzlies rookie center Zach Edey is close to a return. Edey has missed the past five games while dealing with an ankle injury.
The injury was suffered against the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 17. Before the injury, Edey had four consecutive games with at least double figures in scoring and at least three offensive rebounds.
Advertisement
Edey has recently done 1-on-0 work and will start to ramp up more by the end of this week or early next, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said.
“I would imagine in the next couple of days we can kind of see him get into some more movement workouts and hopefully on the shorter end,” Jenkins said.
When Edey has been active, the Grizzlies (12-7) have been one of the NBA’s top offensive rebounding teams.
Edey is averaging 11.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He was drafted in the first around with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
After Friday, the Grizzlies play home Sunday (2:30 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network) against the Indiana Pacers.
Advertisement
The schedule will have an uptick in competition next week. Memphis will play last season’s conference champions — the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics on Tuesday and Saturday, respectively. A home matchup against a quality Sacramento Kings squad is also sandwiched in between those road games on Thursday.
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Zach Edey injury update: Memphis Grizzlies center close to return