The Memphis Grizzlies were first located in Vancouver after the National Basketball Association (NBA) granted the city an expansion team on April 27, 1994, and they first participated in the NBA draft in 1995.[1] However, the Grizzlies win–loss record after six seasons was only 101-359 (.220), and on July 4, 2001, the league's board of governors approved a move to Memphis, where the team has been located ever since.[1]
In 1989, the NBA agreed with the National Basketball Players' Association to limit drafts to two rounds, an arrangement that has remained the same up the present time.[2] Before each draft, an NBA draft lottery determines the first round selection order for the teams that missed the playoffs during the prior season.[2] Teams can also trade their picks, which means that in some drafts teams may have more or less than two draft picks, although they must have at least one first-round pick every other year.[3]
Seven of the players that the Grizzlies have drafted were named to the NBA All-Rookie Team first team in their respective rookie seasons—Shareef Abdur-Rahim in 1997, Mike Bibby in 1999, Shane Battier, Pau Gasol in 2002, Rudy Gay in 2007, Jaren Jackson Jr. in 2019, and Ja Morant in 2020[4]—Gasol was named the Rookie of the Year in 2002 while Morant was named the Rookie of the Year in 2020.[5]
