- Following a third straight 50-win (the second in two seasons under head coach Dave Joerger) and a franchise-record fifth consecutive appearance in the NBA Playoffs, the Memphis Grizzlies enter the 2015 NBA Draft with one first round selection (No. 25 overall).
- Seven of the 16 players on the current Memphis roster were drafted at the No. 25 overall pick or below.
- Vince Carter (No. 5 overall in 1998), Luke Ridnour (No. 14 in 2003), Mike Conley (No. 4 overall in 2007) and Jeff Green (No. 5 overall in 2007) are the only four players on the current Memphis roster to be selected in the first 19 picks of an NBA Draft.
- Mike Conley (No. 4 overall in 2007) and Jordan Adams (No. 22 overall in 2014) are the only players on the current Memphis roster to be drafted by the Grizzlies.
- The Grizzlies have completed a draft-night trade in 10 of their 14 drafts since moving to Memphis. The exceptions came in the 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012 Drafts.
- Memphis has favored younger talents in recent drafts, selecting at least one underclassman in every draft since 2006 and a total of 11 in that nine-year span.
- Memphis’ second round selection this season (No. 56 overall) is owned by New Orleans… The pick was acquired by the Pelicans as part of a three-team trade on Jan. 12, 2015 in which the Grizzlies acquired Jeff Green from Boston and Russ Smith from New Orleans.
Some facts about the No. 25 Overall Pick
- Notable recent No. 25 overall picks include current Grizzlies guard/forward Tony Allen (2004) and Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum (2008).
- Notable former No. 25 overall picks include 2010 All-Star Gerald Wallace (2001) and Al Harrington (1998)… Wallace was selected as the first and only player to ever don a Charlotte Bobcats uniform in an All-Star game prior to the Charlotte franchise changing their name to the Hornets for the 2014-15 season… He was also named to the 2010 NBA All-Defensive First Team and led the league in steals in 2005-06. Drafted out of St. Patrick High School (NJ), Harrington enjoyed a 16-year NBA career, averaging 13.5 points and 5.6 rebounds in 981 games for seven different teams.
- Mark Price was also selected 25th overall in 1986… Price is one of just six players in NBA history in the “50-40-90 Club” (at least .500 FG, .400 3FG and .900 FT percentage) after achieving the feat during the 1988-89 season… He was named to the All-NBA First Team in 1993 and to three All-NBA Third Teams (1989, 1992, 1994)… Price sits second all-time in free-throw percentage behind Steve Nash at .9039… He is currently the head coach of the men’s basketball team at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
- The No. 25 overall pick also produced current Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach and former Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies head coach Sidney Lowe (1983)… After winning the 1983 NCAA Championship under Jim Valvano at North Carolina State, Lowe played for five teams in a four-year NBA career… Lowe coached the Grizzlies for parts of three seasons (2000-02) and was the franchise’s first head coach upon its relocation to Memphis in 2001.
- A few other former No. 25 overall picks also played for the Grizzlies… John Thomas (1997) briefly suited up for Memphis, playing in a total of three games during the 2005-06 season… Jake Tsakalidis (2000) played in 145 games for the Grizzlies spanning from 2003-07.
- Former No. 25 overall pick David Vaughn is a Whites Creek, Tennessee native and played collegiately for the University of Memphis (1991-1995).
- Memphis has drafted at No. 25 overall twice before, selecting Tony Wroten in 2012 and Dominique Jones in 2010.
