# Jaylen Wells
**Jaylen Wells** (born 2003) is an American professional basketball player for the [Memphis Grizzlies](https://www.edgepedia.org/memphis-grizzlies) of the [National Basketball Association](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-basketball-association) (NBA). A 6-foot-7-inch (2.01 m) wing, he was selected by Memphis with the 39th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, rose from Division II college basketball to an NBA All-Rookie First Team selection, and finished third in the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year voting.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1642377/jaylen-wells/bio) • [2](https://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/zach-edey-and-jaylen-wells-named-to-nba-all-rookie-first-team) • [3](https://elpais.com/deportes/baloncesto/2025-04-29/stephon-castle-segundo-novato-del-ano-de-la-nba-consecutivo-para-los-san-antonio-spurs.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2003, in Sacramento, California[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1642377/jaylen-wells/bio) |
| Position / size | Forward and shooting guard, 6'7" (2.01 m), wears No. 0 for Memphis[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1642377/jaylen-wells/bio) • [4](https://www.foxsports.com/nba/jaylen-wells-player-bio) |
| Draft | 39th overall (second round, ninth pick), 2024 NBA Draft, Memphis Grizzlies; signed July 6, 2024[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1642377/jaylen-wells/bio) • [5](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/wellsja01.html) |
| College | Two seasons at Division II Sonoma State (2022-23 CCAA Player of the Year), one season at Washington State (All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention)[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1642377/jaylen-wells/bio) |
| Rookie season (2024-25) | 79 games (74 starts), 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists in 25.9 minutes; 42.5% field goals, 35.2% from three, 82.2% free throws[6](https://s3.grizzliesapp.com/assets/media_guides/25-26/MG_25-26_MediaGuide.pdf) |
| Honors | 2024-25 NBA All-Rookie First Team; third in Rookie of the Year voting[2](https://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/zach-edey-and-jaylen-wells-named-to-nba-all-rookie-first-team) • [3](https://elpais.com/deportes/baloncesto/2025-04-29/stephon-castle-segundo-novato-del-ano-de-la-nba-consecutivo-para-los-san-antonio-spurs.html) |
| 2025-26 injury | Tendon avulsion fracture in the right great toe; stabilization surgery on March 31, 2026 ended his season[7](https://www.nba.com/player/1642377) |
## Early life and high school
Wells was born in [Sacramento, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/sacramento-california), and attended Folsom High School, where he led his league in scoring and was named the 2021 SFL League MVP and the Sacramento Bee All-Metro Player of the Year.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1642377/jaylen-wells/bio) A pre-draft scouting profile noted that he made his high school varsity team only in his junior year, a late start that shaped an unconventional path to the NBA.[8](https://www.si.com/nba/draft/newsfeed/nba-draft-scouting-report-washington-state-s-jaylen-wells-01hxdc1b247w)
## College career
**Sonoma State.** Wells began his college career at Sonoma State, a Division II program, where he played two seasons. In 2022-23, after posting 22.1 points per game to top the conference and matching the conference best of 8.7 rebounds a night, he earned first-team All-CCAA honors and was voted the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Player of the Year. He shot 52.3% from the field, fourth in the CCAA, and 85.8% from the free throw line, second in the conference.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1642377/jaylen-wells/bio)
**Washington State.** He transferred to Washington State for the 2023-24 season, his only year at the Division I level. In 34 games (20 starts) he averaged 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 29.2 minutes and earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention recognition.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1642377/jaylen-wells/bio) He helped the Cougars reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008, and his 27-point performance in a win at Arizona on February 22, 2024, secured the best road win in WSU program history; he matched that career high with 27 points in a later win over UCLA, shooting 10 of 10 from the free throw line in that game.[9](https://wsucougars.com/news/2024/06/27/jaylen-wells-drafted-no-39-by-nbas-memphis-grizzlies) NBA.com's draft profile described him as a possible "one-and-done" prospect at the Division I level despite his two prior seasons at Sonoma State.[10](https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jaylen-wells)
## NBA career
**Draft and rookie season.** The Memphis Grizzlies selected Wells with the 39th overall pick on June 27, 2024, and he signed a multi-year contract on July 6, 2024.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1642377/jaylen-wells/bio) In his rookie season he moved into the starting lineup, playing 79 games with 74 starts, posting per-game averages of 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists across 25.9 minutes, and connecting on 42.5% of his field goals, 35.2% of his three-pointers, and 82.2% of his free throws.[6](https://s3.grizzliesapp.com/assets/media_guides/25-26/MG_25-26_MediaGuide.pdf) NBA.com reported in January 2025 that he ranked first in games started by a wide margin among second-round picks of the 2024 draft class.[11](https://www.nba.com/news/memphis-jaylen-wells-has-arrived)
At season's end the NBA named Wells and teammate [Zach Edey](https://www.edgepedia.org/zach-edey) to the 2024-25 All-Rookie First Team.[2](https://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/zach-edey-and-jaylen-wells-named-to-nba-all-rookie-first-team) He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, behind winner Stephon Castle of the [San Antonio Spurs](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-antonio-spurs) and Zaccharie Risacher of the [Atlanta Hawks](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlanta-hawks).[3](https://elpais.com/deportes/baloncesto/2025-04-29/stephon-castle-segundo-novato-del-ano-de-la-nba-consecutivo-para-los-san-antonio-spurs.html)
**Playing style.** Pre-draft scouting identified catch-and-shoot three-point shooting as his clearest strength.[12](https://www.si.com/nba/draft/nba-rookies/is-jaylen-wells-quiet-nba-rookie-of-year) In the NBA he added a defensive role that his pre-draft evaluations had not forecast: as a rookie he took on the league's toughest wing assignments, playing off [Ja Morant](https://www.edgepedia.org/ja-morant), Jaren Jackson Jr., and [Desmond Bane](https://www.edgepedia.org/desmond-bane) in a defensive role alongside his shooting duties.[13](https://www.si.com/nba/grizzlies/onsi/news/jaylen-wells-is-finding-his-two-way-groove-01kbnm558g4w) Memphis also asked its perimeter players, including Wells, to create one-on-one without a screen, a responsibility he handled well during his rookie season.[14](https://www.sportscasting.com/news/nba-rookie-ladder-vol-5-jaylen-wells-continues-to-shine/)
**2025-26 season and toe injury.** Wells's scoring rose to 12.5 points per game in 2025-26, with 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1642377/jaylen-wells/bio) In late March 2026 he was diagnosed with a tendon avulsion fracture in his right great toe and underwent a successful procedure to stabilize the toe on March 31, 2026, ending his season.[7](https://www.nba.com/player/1642377) He had also missed five games earlier that season with injuries, including one game with right shoulder soreness.[15](https://www.nba.com/gamenotes/grizzlies.pdf?tid=1709547154678) By October 2026, Grizzlies president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said Wells had been a full participant in training camp, and the team expected him to keep competing for rotation minutes on the wing even after Memphis drafted Cameron Boozer with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.[7](https://www.nba.com/player/1642377)
## References
1. [Jaylen Wells bio, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/player/1642377/jaylen-wells/bio)
2. [Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells named to NBA All-Rookie First Team, Memphis Grizzlies](https://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/zach-edey-and-jaylen-wells-named-to-nba-all-rookie-first-team)
3. [Stephon Castle, segundo novato del año de la NBA consecutivo para los San Antonio Spurs, El País](https://elpais.com/deportes/baloncesto/2025-04-29/stephon-castle-segundo-novato-del-ano-de-la-nba-consecutivo-para-los-san-antonio-spurs.html)
4. [Jaylen Wells player bio, FOX Sports](https://www.foxsports.com/nba/jaylen-wells-player-bio)
5. [Jaylen Wells Stats, Basketball-Reference.com](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/wellsja01.html)
6. [Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies 2025-26 Media Guide](https://s3.grizzliesapp.com/assets/media_guides/25-26/MG_25-26_MediaGuide.pdf)
7. [Jaylen Wells player page and news, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/player/1642377)
8. [NBA Draft Scouting Report: Washington State's Jaylen Wells, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/nba/draft/newsfeed/nba-draft-scouting-report-washington-state-s-jaylen-wells-01hxdc1b247w)
9. [Jaylen Wells Drafted No. 39 by NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, Washington State University Athletics](https://wsucougars.com/news/2024/06/27/jaylen-wells-drafted-no-39-by-nbas-memphis-grizzlies)
10. [NBA 2024 Draft Prospects: Jaylen Wells, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/draft/2024/prospects/jaylen-wells)
11. [Memphis' Jaylen Wells has arrived, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/memphis-jaylen-wells-has-arrived)
12. [Is Jaylen Wells Quietly The Best Rookie In The NBA?, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/nba/draft/nba-rookies/is-jaylen-wells-quiet-nba-rookie-of-year)
13. [Jaylen Wells is finding his two-way groove, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/nba/grizzlies/onsi/news/jaylen-wells-is-finding-his-two-way-groove-01kbnm558g4w)
14. [NBA Rookie Ladder Vol. 5: Jaylen Wells Continues To Shine, Sportscasting](https://www.sportscasting.com/news/nba-rookie-ladder-vol-5-jaylen-wells-continues-to-shine/)
15. [Memphis Grizzlies Game Notes](https://www.nba.com/gamenotes/grizzlies.pdf?tid=1709547154678)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › Current NBA players › Small forwards*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license