Second-year wing Jaylen Wells will undergo surgery to address a tendon avulsion fracture in his right big toe, the Grizzlies announced today (via Twitter). The team didn’t provide a timeline for Wells’ recovery, but he’s expected to miss the rest of the season.
Wells played 69 games this season, all starts, and averaged 12.5 points in 26.4 minutes per night on .431/.353/.784 shooting splits. He contributed 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest, putting up similar numbers across the board to the ones he posted in 2024/25, when he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting.
Wells missed the previous three games for the Grizzlies while dealing with this injury. The club indicated in its announcement that he’s expected to make a full recovery.
Memphis was officially eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday, and Wells now joins an extensive list of Grizzlies who have been ruled out for the rest of the season as the team looks to maximize its draft positioning. Michael Wallace of Grind City Media notes (Twitter link) that he is the fifth Grizzlies player this season to undergo season-ending surgery, joining Zach Edey (elbow), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (finger), Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), and Santi Aldama (knee).