‘That small place produces good products’: Memphis rookie Jaylen Wells has hopes of being the next Coug to stick in the NBA
DALLAS – Jaylen Wells is new to the topsy-turvy world of professional basketball, but the former Washington State sharpshooter – who was a second-round pick (39th overall) for Memphis in the 2024 NBA draft – is adjusting well to his new surroundings.
“It’s been a great experience. Loving Memphis, the staff, the city,” Wells, 21, said prior to an Oct. 7 preseason game in Dallas. “It’s cool to know you have the ‘Cougs’ on your back and they’re supporting you everywhere you go.”
For Wells, starting his NBA preseason in Dallas was exciting – former Cougars guard Klay Thompson signed with the Mavericks in the offseason after winning four titles with the Golden State Warriors.
“It’s cool (to be part of such a group), especially for a place like Pullman, such a passionate community. Being able to know they have people to root for outside of just college, it’s pretty cool to show that Washington State produces pros – NFL, NBA,” Wells said. “In the NBA and NFL, you see a lot of Cougs throughout the teams. It’s one of those places you sleep on because Pullman is such a small place, but that small place produces good products.”
Wells, who averaged 12.6 points. 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game for WSU a season ago, hopes to follow Thompson’s lead as he joins a growing fraternity of ex-Cougars in the professional ranks that includes Mouhamed Gueye in Atlanta, fellow rookie Isaac Jones in Sacramento and Malachi Flynn – who played his first three seasons at WSU before transferring in Detroit.
His first taste of life in the NBA came in July when he played in the Vegas Summer League. In six games, he turned heads, averaging 13.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and one assist while logging around 29 minutes per game.
“It was a great experience, a lot of ups and downs. Just happy to be able to go through those ups and downs, just to be able to know what it’s like to have a short memory,” Wells said.
“There’s going to be so many games this season and you can’t get down on yourself for one bad performance. I had some bad performances and some really good performances. Also just getting used to the pace. I would say the pace (is the biggest difference in the NBA). Especially being with Memphis, we play really fast. When you’ve got a guy like Ja (Morant running the offense), you’re going to push it.”
Wells has only been with the Grizzlies for a few months, but his new head coach, Taylor Jenkins, Memphis’ coach since 2019, already sees plenty to like with the former Cougars standout.
“I love what I’m seeing out of him. He carries himself like he’s been in the league already for a couple of years,” Jenkins said. “(He’s) already established a great routine for himself as a rookie, everything from the off-court stuff to his diet, how he’s taking care of his body, the late-night work he’s doing, coming in and working on his shot. He knows what his strengths are, the success he had in college.”
The young rookie has a healthy appreciation for how Jenkins does things and for how well he relates to all his players.
“He’s passionate. He’s all about basketball,” Wells said of Jenkins. “You can tell he has your back. I feel like he’s a players’ coach. (It’s) great being able to play for a coach that you feel has your back and wants the best for you.”
Preseason performances have given Jenkins hope that the WSU product will be able to contribute during his rookie season. He said he’s has bought into the Grizzlies’ culture of grinding, but also into their new offensive system.
“He’s really adopting our philosophy of play. He’s got a great knack for the ball with his rebounding on both sides of the floor and he’s shown himself to be a pretty good team defender,” Jenkins said. “I’m challenging him to be even more vocal, more physical on the ball because I think he’s got a lot of physical tools and a care factor on that side. Offensively, he’s just kind of letting the game come to himself. He’s playing with a lot of confidence. His teammates are finding him, he’s letting it fly without hesitation, but he’s also making the right reads when it’s not a scoring opportunity for him.”
And like many rookies, he is doing his best impression of a sponge and absorbing every bit of knowledge he can from his veteran teammates – including John Konchar, who recently pranked him at a Memphis grocery store, pretending to be a fan asking Wells to take a picture with him. Wells didn’t realize it was one of his new teammates asking for a picture.
“That was hilarious,” Wells said of the Konchar prank. “They (the veterans) have all been helpful, helping me get acclimated to the city. There’s things you don’t really know once you move to another city, but they’ll help you out and that’s pretty cool. Just getting knowledge, Marcus (Smart) is the oldest player (on the team). He’s been helping me out on defense, of course, because he’s a great defender.”
Another vet he’s been learning from is Brandon Clarke, a Gonzaga product who returned from a yearlong absence late last season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in 2023.
“Really, really grateful to have him on the team, having fun watching him get better, watching him work every day,” Clarke said of Wells. “Just a real cool kid, a young guy. I think he’ll fit in well with us when he plays for us.”
Wells is also open to enduring whatever sorts of rookie rites of passage – among them lugging around the dreaded pink backpack to announce his rookie status to the world – that his veteran teammates have in store for him this season.
“I don’t know everything yet, but the one duty is (the rookies have) to go to South Main Sushi and get a bunch of fried rice before we get on the plane (for road games),” he said. “I didn’t have to do it this time, it was Cam (Spencer’s turn). Since there’s three rookies, we rotate. It won’t be that bad. We just got to go pick it up (it’s already been ordered). It’s not terrible. They (the vets) have been here before. They paved the way for you, so got to pay your dues.”
Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas.