WSU Cougars guard Cedric Coward is heading to the Memphis Grizzlies as a part of a draft day trade
The Portland Trailblazers selected Coward with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday night. However, Coward’s draft rights were traded to the Grizzlies.
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Memphis sent the 16th pick, a 2028 first-rounder via Orlando and two second-rounders to Portland in exchange for Coward, ESPN’s Sham Charania reported on social media.
Coward is the first Cougar to go in the first round since Klay Thompson to the Golden State Warriors with the 11th pick of the 2011 draft. Former WSU standout Malachi Flynn was also drafted in the first round by the Toronto Raptors in 2020, but it came after Flynn transferred and played a season at San Diego State.
The 6-foot-6 Coward is one of just for WSU products to be picked in the first round, and it came after he played just six games with the program.
After transferring from nearby Eastern Washington, Coward was emerging as a do-it-all star during an impressive start to his only campaign with WSU. But his season ended when he needed surgery on a partially torn labrum after just six games. Coward was averaging 17.7 points on 55.7% shooting from the field and 40% from beyond the arc while adding 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 blocks.
Shaking, baking, finding his way to the hoop goes Cedric Coward. He's had a quiet night offensively, but doing the little hustle things and has a big block.#GoCougs // 📺B1GN pic.twitter.com/PBrzl6YRVi
— Washington State Men's Basketball (@WSUCougarsMBB) November 16, 2024
The Fresno, Calif., native redshirted due to the injury and entered the transfer portal in April. Coward committed to Duke, but decided to forgo that opportunity to enter the NBA Draft in May.
Coward impressed with his measurables and testing at the NBA draft combine. His massive 7-foot-2¼-inch wingspan was tops among guards, posted a 38.5-inch vertical jump and performed well during shooting drills.
Coward began his college career at D-III Williamette University before spending two seasons at EWU. He averaged 11.3 points and 6.1 rebounds in his two season with the Eagles.
Coward is joining Grizzlies team that went 48-34 and was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the eventual-champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Memphis drafted WSU guard Jaylen Wells in the second round of last year’s draft.
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