Tag: Jaylen Wells

A Grizzlies veteran pulled off the funniest photo prank on an unsuspecting rookie teammate

What a perfect prank.

When you successfully pull off a hilarious and innocent prank, it is an accomplishment. Memphis Grizzlies wing John Konchar did exactly that.

Konchar, 28, was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Grizzlies in 2019. He has carved out a nice place as a role player in the pros, earning a spot on the roster in Memphis. Now a veteran, he took it upon himself to introduce a rookie teammate to life in the NBA.

That teammate, Jaylen Wells from Washington State University, was selected in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. He joins a Memphis rookie class highlighted by two-time national collegiate player of the year Zach Edey and NCAA champion Cam Spencer.

Konchar saw Wells in public and pretended that he was just a fan of the Grizzlies, creating an iconic photo in the process.

He shared how he pulled off a hilarious joke without Wells recognizing him:

“I see him at a Cordelia’s. [I’m] with my girlfriend at the time and I’m just like hey. I’m going to go up to him. I’ve never met him yet. I wasn’t in Vegas or anything. I haven’t met him yet. I see him over there. I’m like hey. I’m going to ask him for a picture and see if he recognizes me. Like, follow me and take a picture. So I go up to him and I’m like: Hey, I’m John. I’m a huge Grizzlies fan. Can I please take a picture with you? I shook his hand and everything. So my girlfriend is behind me just taking a picture and I’m like dude I appreciate it. Good luck this season. And we just walk away.”

Wells added some context:

“I took the picture and I walked around the corner and the cashier came up to me and said: Do you know who you just took a picture with? And I’m like: John. He told me his name is John. And then he was like, no, that’s your teammate, John Konchar. I was like, that makes sense. That makes a lot of sense. Because it was slightly awkward when we took the picture. Something was up.”

The rookie added that his locker is now directly next to Konchar’s.

What a perfect prank.

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Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells drops 27 points, sinks game-winner over 76ers in Utah

Jaylen Wells led all players in scoring and sank the game-winning shot on Tuesday to lead the Grizzlies over the 76ers.

Jaylen Wells led all players in scoring and sank the game-winning shot on Tuesday to lead the Memphis Grizzlies over the Philadelphia 76ers in the Salt Lake City Summer League.

Wells produced a game-high 27 points, six rebounds, three assists and one steal in the 87-85 victory at the Delta Center. He finished by shooting 9-of-23 from the field, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range, in 33 minutes of work in his second appearance.

The 39th pick sent the Grizzlies to the win after converting a one-handed floater as time expired. He was in the right place at the right moment after crashing the glass off the miss by Isaiah Miller to have the chance to make the shot.

Wells bounced back following a two-point performance in his debut on Monday, in which he went just 1-of-9 from the field in 24 minutes. He looked to shoot the ball better on Tuesday and was active on offense moving the ball around.

He has had a rapid rise to establish himself as a second-round pick after playing the first two years of his career in Division II. He proved to be a tremendous scorer and rebounder in college and will look to showcase those traits in summer league.

The Grizzlies will wrap up their stay in Utah on Wednesday and then play at least five games in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team will open with Sacramento on Friday.

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Report: Grizzlies to sign 39th pick Jaylen Wells to 4-year contract

The Grizzlies have reportedly agreed to sign No. 39 overall pick Jaylen Wells to a four-year contract.

The Memphis Grizzlies have reportedly agreed to sign No. 39 overall pick Jaylen Wells to a four-year, $7.9 million contract, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Wells was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention at Washington State after averaging 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists on 41.7% shooting from 3-point range. He scored in double figures 25 times, including a season-high 27 points on Feb. 22 against Arizona.

The 20-year-old played the first two years of his college career at Sonoma State University in Division II. He was an All-American and named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Year in 2023 after averaging 22.1 points and 8.7 rebounds.

After establishing himself as a second-round pick, Wells will reportedly have the first two years of his contract guaranteed with the Grizzlies. He will likely spend time in the G League with the Memphis Hustle to begin the season and continue his development.

Wells is expected to play with the Grizzlies in summer league, beginning on Monday against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. The team will play three games there before starting a five-game run on July 12 versus Sacramento in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The 20-year-old will be joined in summer league by fellow draft picks Zach Edey (No. 9) and Cam Spencer (No. 53), along with undrafted free agent DJ Jeffries, among others.

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Washington State guard Jaylen Wells, USC forward DJ Rodman have pre-draft workout with Warriors

Washington State’s Jaylen Wells and USC forward DJ Rodman headlined the latest group of prospects to have a pre-draft workout with the Warriors.

As the NBA draft is now just two weeks away, the Golden State Warriors are continuing to bring in different prospects for pre-draft workouts. The latest group of prospects was headlined by Washington State’s Jaylen Wells and USC’s DJ Rodman from the PAC-12.

Tulane’s Kevin Cross and Tennessee’s veteran shooter Santiago Vescovi round out a group of prospects along with Vichy-Clermont’s Lucas Dufeal and Ilias Karmadine. Vichy-Clermont is a professional basketball club out of France.

Via @JDumasReports on Twitter:

Wells played one season at Washington State, averaging 12.6 points on 43.6% shooting from the field and 41.7% from long distance. Wells added 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists.

Growing up in Folsom and Sacramento, Wells has ties to the Bay Area and Northern California. Prior to transferring to Washington State, Wells was named CCAA Player of the Year and was a Division II All-American at Division II Sonoma State in Rohnert Park, California. Wells tallied 22.4 points per game for the Seawolves as a sophomore.

Rodman, son of NBA Hall of Famer, Dennis Rodman, played four seasons at Washington State before transferring to Southern California last season. Rodman averaged 8.4 points and five rebounds per contest with the Trojans.

The NBA draft is set to begin with the first round on June 25. The second round will begin on Wednesday, June 26. The Warriors currently hold one pick in the draft in the second round, No. 52 overall.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Jaylen Wells: NBA draft scouting report

2003 | 6’6.5 | 6’7 WS | 206 LBS Team: Washington State Agent: Amandeep Dhesi Best aggregate mock draft rank : 44 / Worst rank: NR 2023-24 stats: In 2023-24, Wells averaged 12.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.0 steal, and 0.4 blocks per game. …

2003 | 6’6.5 | 6’7 WS | 206 LBS

Team: Washington State

Agent: Amandeep Dhesi

Best aggregate mock draft rank: 44 / Worst rank: NR

2023-24 stats:

In 2023-24, Wells averaged 12.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.0 steal, and 0.4 blocks per game. He shot 43.1 percent from the field, 42.0 percent from three, and 83.3 percent from the foul line.

Creighton senior Ryan Kalkbrenner withdraws from NBA draft, combine

Creighton senior Ryan Kalkbrenner has withdrawn from the 2024 NBA draft and will not attend the draft combine in Chicago.

Creighton senior Ryan Kalkbrenner has withdrawn from the 2024 NBA draft and will not attend the draft combine in Chicago, Illinois, the league announced on Saturday.

Kalkbrenner declared for the draft this year while maintaining his college eligibility. He was still expected to test the predraft process after announcing on May 1 that he would utilize his fifth year of college and return to Creighton for the 2024-25 season.

The 7-footer, who also tested the draft last year, was among the 78 prospects invited to the combine this week. He will instead skip the event and be replaced by Washington State junior Jaylen Wells.

Kalkbrenner was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year for a third straight season, averaging 17.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.1 blocks and 1.3 assists on 64.6% shooting from the field. He ranked second in the country in blocks per game and seventh in field-goal percentage.

He became the third Big East player to win the award at least three times, joining Patrick Ewing (four times; 1982-1985) and Alonzo Mourning (three times; 1989-1990, 1992). He became the first Creighton player since 1985 to have at least 100 blocks in a season (107).

With their defensive anchor back, the Bluejays add No. 38 prospect Jackson McAndrew and No. 64 prospect Larry Johnson to the roster for the upcoming season. The program also signed Ty Davis, the 25th-ranked combo guard in the class.

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