Cedric Coward Injury News & Updates

Coward recorded 23 points (10-18 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 14 rebounds, five assists and one steal over 28 minutes during Friday's 107-98 win over the Clippers.

Coward notched the fourth double-double of his career in this one, and he also set a new career-high in rebounds. Coward had been in a shooting funk in the three games prior, going just 11-for-34 from the floor, so it was nice to see him come through with an efficient scoring performance. He'll look to keep it going Sunday versus Portland.

Coward racked up 10 points (4-11 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes during Sunday's 115-107 victory over the Kings.

Making his eighth straight start, Coward scored in double digits for the fifth time during that span. The 11th overall pick in the 2025 Draft has been getting his starting opportunity while Ja Morant (calf) has been on the shelf, but the duo started together during the Nov. 15 contest in which Morant got injured, so it's not clear what the plan will be once the Grizzlies star gets healthy. During Morant's seven-game absence, Coward is averaging 11.6 points, 5.7 boards, 2.1 assists and 1.6 threes in 28.1 minutes a contest.

Coward posted 19 points (7-13 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 1-1 FT), four rebounds and four assists over 25 minutes during Thursday's 137-96 win over the Kings.

Coward was unable to reach the second double-double for the first time this season. Still, the rookie out of WSU was certainly keeping close tabs ahead of this game, and several NBA teams should be keeping close tabs on him due to his solid display. Coward was the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Coward provided 19 points (7-15 FG, 5-7 3Pt), 11 rebounds and one assist over 25 minutes during Tuesday's 111-101 loss to San Antonio.

Coward drew his second straight start Tuesday and posted another effective all-around showing. He was certainly feeling it from beyond the arc, where he fell one made triple shy of a new season high. With Ja Morant (calf) expected to miss at least another two weeks, expect Coward and Jaren Jackson to remain key contributors moving forward.

Coward (foot) will enter the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Cavaliers.

Coward entered the morning with a doubtful tag, and then was later upgraded to questionable. He has since been given the green light to play, and he's set up to make his first start of his career at the NBA level. The rookie continues to trend up as one of the few bright spots on this team to open the season.

Coward (foot) has been upgraded to questionable for Saturday's game against the Cavaliers.

Coward was initially considered doubtful for this contest. Presumably, he'll warm up before a final decision is made on his status. If he's held out, players such as Cam Spencer, Vince Williams and John Konchar could be more involved for the Grizzlies.

Coward is doubtful for Saturday's game in Cleveland due to right foot soreness.

The foot issue could help explain why Coward has gone ice cold from distance recently, so perhaps some time off will help him get things back on track. With Coward not expected to play Saturday, there should be more minutes available for Cam Spencer, Vince Williams and John Konchar.

Coward accumulated 12 points (3-12 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT), six rebounds and three assists across 26 minutes during Wednesday's 131-95 loss to Boston.

While Coward was shooting the lights out to begin the year, he's gone ice cold over the past three games, and it's been particularly brutal from three-point range. He's converted just four of his 17 three-point attempts over this three-game stretch to go with averages of 12.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per contest. He should bust out of the funk soon enough, though, and with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope exiting Wednesday's game with an elbow issue, Coward could be looking at a potential starting role for Saturday's game in Cleveland.

Coward closed with 11 points (3-10 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT), three rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals in 30 minutes during Tuesday's 133-120 loss to the Knicks.

Coward had one of his worst performances offensively, which is more of a credit to his stellar rookie campaign, and he was able to make up for it defensively by recording two steals and two blocks. He is averaging 14.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.4 blocks and 1.7 threes per game.

Coward finished Friday's 118-104 win over the Mavericks with 21 points (7-10 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), nine rebounds and four assists across 28 minutes.

There's a strong argument to say Coward was the Grizzlies' best player in this win, as he was among the team's best scorers and finished just one rebound shy of a double-double. Coward has scored in double digits in all but two of his 10 games off the bench, and the rookie has done a good job of making the most of his minutes out there. He's averaging a productive 15.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game through his first 10 games in the NBA.

Coward accumulated 17 points (5-9 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds and two assists over 31 minutes during Monday's 114-106 loss to the Pistons.

Despite the Grizzlies' disappointing 3-5 start, Coward has been a bright spot off the bench, averaging 15.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.4 blocks and 1.8 threes made on insane 58/48/92 shooting splits. Monday also marked the first time Coward has seen over 30 minutes of playing time in a game, indicating the coaching staff's trust in Coward to be productive for longer periods.

Coward contributed 13 points (4-11 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 5-6 FT) while adding 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals in 26 minutes off the bench during Friday's 117-112 loss to the Lakers.

The 11th overall pick in the 2025 Draft struggled to find his shot, but Coward still delivered a strong performance that included a season high in pilfers and his first career double-double. The Washington State product has scored in double digits in five of his first six NBA contests, averaging 15.5 points, 4.8 boards, 2.2 assists, 1.8 threes and 1.3 steals in 24.7 minutes a game.

Coward provided 14 points (5-10 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one block across 28 minutes during Wednesday's 114-113 win over the Suns.

Memphis' 2025 first-round pick is impressing in the early stage of the season. He's scored in double figures in four of his first five games, and has risen to a second-unit role behind Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in short order. Caldwell-Pope's numbers have been just fine so far, but the Grizzlies will give the rookie every opportunity to succeed as he continues to develop.

Coward supplied 27 points (9-13 FG, 6-6 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds, four assists and one steal in 24 minutes during Saturday's 128-103 win over the Pacers.

Coward went off for a game-high 27 points while draining all six of his 3-point attempts. The rookie first-round pick also recorded a game-best plus-36 plus-minus rating in his time off the bench. Coward is averaging 19.0 points, 3.7 boards, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals on 70.4/72.7/91.7 shooting splits through his first three NBA games, and he'll look to stay hot against the Warriors on Monday.

Coward contributed 27 points (9-13 FG, 6-6 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds, four assists and one steal across 24 minutes in Saturday's 128-103 win over the Pacers.

Coward caught fire en route to a game-high 27 points, including 15 in the third quarter alone. The rookie has logged 22-plus minutes in all three of the Grizzlies' games thus far, averaging 19.0 points in 22.7 minutes per contest. He should continue to see significant playing time off the bench with Ty Jerome (calf) and Vince Williams (heel) sidelined.

Coward finished Wednesday's 128-122 victory over the Pelicans with 14 points (5-5 FG, 4-4 FT), three rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals over 22 minutes.

Coward, who was selected with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, had a rough preseason with a 31.1 percent mark from the field. He shined in his official debut, however, as he put together a perfect night from the field and from the line. The Grizzlies have several injuries right now and plenty of question marks in their rotation, making this an ideal situation for the rookie to step up right away.

Coward registered 15 points (4-9 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 6-7 FT), one rebound, one assist and one steal across 22 minutes during Saturday's 122-116 preseason loss to Atlanta.

Coward was deployed off the bench Saturday with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope returning from a scheduled night off Wednesday. The rookie guard led the Memphis reserves in scoring despite a tough shooting performance from beyond the arc, as he managed to tack on six points from the charity stripe. Coward will presumably be a factor in the Grizzlies' rotation at some point during his first NBA season, though it remains unclear how involved he'll be at the beginning of the year.

Coward will come off the bench during Saturday's preseason game against the Hawks.

After a poor shooting performance as a starter in Wednesday's preseason game against the Celtics, Coward will be in the second unit. There's no doubting the rookie's talent, but his shooting may become a concern if he can't figure out a way to turn it around during the rest of the preseason.

Coward produced 15 points (4-13 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 7-7FT), six rebounds and two steals in 26 minutes during Wednesday's preseason loss to Boston.

Coming off an 0-for7 performance in Monday's preseason loss to the Pistons, Coward once again struggled with his shot. However, he was able to get to the free-throw line with regularity, from where he shot a perfect 7-for-7. While his long-term role remains a little uncertain, he could see a few extra minutes to begin the season, especially if Ja Morant misses time.

Coward is part of the starting lineup for Wednesday's preseason game against Boston.

Coward steps into the first unit Wednesday in place of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope after coming off the bench Monday. Coward went 0-for-7 from the field in the preseason opener, and he'll have a chance to bounce back against the Celtics.

Coward totaled one point (0-7 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one steal in 18 minutes during Monday's 128-112 loss to the Pistons.

Coward made his debut for the Grizzlies, albeit an underwhelming one. After failing to play in the Summer League due to a shoulder injury, some rust was certainly expected. While it was a rough night on the offensive end, Coward's length was a real positive for Memphis. The fact he played 18 minutes would indicate he has fully recovered from his injury, a great sign given the fact a number of other players are slated to miss time. Assuming the roster is relatively healthy for the majority of the season, it's hard to see Coward playing more than about 18 minutes per game on most nights.

The Grizzlies announced on Friday that Coward (shoulder) is expected to be a full participant in training camp.

Coward missed the Las Vegas Summer League after undergoing shoulder surgery in November of 2024 in college, but Memphis anticipates no limitations for the rookie swingman this fall. It's unclear what kind of role he'll have to open the season, but it's worth noting that Memphis is dealing with several injuries already. The 2025 first-rounder will be a player for fantasy managers to monitor this preseason.

Coward (shoulder) is doubtful to play in the 2025 Summer League, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

The Grizzlies traded up to select Coward with the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and they're expected to be extremely cautious with his recovery. The former Washington State suffered a shredded rotator cuff and partially torn labrum in his left (non-shooting) shoulder in late November and underwent surgery. Even though Coward recently stated that he's almost recovered from the injury, the reality is that he hasn't yet taken part in five-on-five practices. Until that happens, he's not going to participate in any games. In other words, his chances of seeing the court in the Summer League are slim to none.

The Trail Blazers selected Coward (shoulder) with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and traded his rights to the Grizzlies, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

Per Charania, the Grizzlies will send the No. 16 overall pick, a 2028 first-round pick via Orlando and two future second-round picks for the right to move up five spots to select Coward. Unlike most lottery selections, Coward was an unheralded recruit coming out of high school in the Class of 2021, with the 21-year-old wing beginning his collegiate career at Division III Williamette University. After a standout season in the Division III ranks, Coward then moved up to the Division I level with Eastern Washington, where he spent two seasons before heading to Washington State in 2024-25. He was limited to just six games in his senior season at Washington State after suffering a shredded rotator cuff and partially torn labrum in his left (non-shooting) shoulder in late November and undergoing surgery, but the athleticism and shooting touch that the 6-foot-6 Coward displayed during his two-plus seasons at the Division I level nonetheless made him an enticing NBA prospect. Over his 72 career games between Eastern