How 5 Cougs, 12 Zags have fared in the NBA so far this season

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Jan. 8—Washington State basketball fans are not used to seeing many Cougs in the NBA.

Much less two on the same team.

However, Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward — who did not play with one another, but called Pullman home in different parts of 2024 — are two components of the Memphis Grizzlies' young, dynamic core.

"Yeah, very cool," Wells said in an October Spokesman-Review article. "Especially going through this process with someone who went to the same school and through the same experiences in Pullman as me.

"It just shows the product that Washington State's putting out with draft picks in back-to-back-to-back years."

It's been far from a perfect season for the Grizzlies thus far. Memphis sits in 10th place in the Western Conference with a 16-21 overall record as of Wednesday night.

At the top of the west is former Gonzaga Bulldog Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The reigning NBA champions started the season 24-1 and are now 30-7 — 4.5 games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs, who have beaten the Thunder three times already.

The Spurs are home to another former Zag — Kelly Olynyk.

As of Wednesday, there are five former WSU Cougs and 12 former Zags active in the NBA. Here's a brief overview of some of the standouts so far as the NBA approaches the midpoint of the regular season.

WSU

Klay Thompson, G, Dallas Mavericks — The former Splash Brother and four-time NBA champion with the Warriors has been thrust into an unfamiliar role as a sixth man for the Mavs. Through 34 games with Dallas this season, Thompson has posted 10.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game — marks well below his career average in his 13th active season.

Fans got a taste of vintage Klay on Nov. 29, when he sank 6-of-10 3-pointers on his way to a season-high 23 points in a 114-110 win over the Clippers.

Jaylen Wells, F, Memphis Grizzlies — A member of Wazzu's electric 2024 March Madness squad, Wells has carved out quite the young career for himself in just his second year in the league.

As a frequent starter for the Grizzlies, Wells has posted 12.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game with a healthy 41% shooting clip from the floor and a 34% mark from beyond the arc.

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Wells, a member of the NBA All-Rookie team last year, turned in one of his best games on Nov. 26, when he sank 5-of-6 triples and was 9-for-11 from the floor for a season-high 25 points in a 133-128 overtime win over the Pelicans.

Cedric Coward, F, Memphis Grizzlies — Coward played just six games in a WSU uniform before a shoulder injury ended his college career; however, the former Coug and Eastern Washington Eagle made his mark with the Grizzlies, alongside fellow former Coug Wells, almost immediately.

Coward delivered a 27-point, six-rebound night on Oct. 25 when he sank each of his six 3-pointers to help Memphis beat Indiana 128-103. On the season, Coward is shooting a scorching 47% and 32% from beyond the arc to post 13.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

Isaac Jones, C, Detroit Pistons — Another member of the Cougs' 2024 March Madness squad — and also a former Idaho Vandal — Jones started with the Kings last year and now finds himself in Detroit for Year 2. Jones has played in just four games this year.

Mouhamed Gueye, F, Atlanta Hawks — In a rotational role for his third year in the league, Gueye has appeared in 36 games and posted 4.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Gueye tipped off the three-year active streak of WSU Cougars getting drafted when he was selected in 2023.

Gonzaga

Chet Holmgren, C, OKC Thunder — The 7-foot-1 center has been among the Thunder's most dependable players with 18.06 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

The reigning NBA champion tipped off the season with a 28-point performance in a 125-124 overtime victory over Houston on Oct. 21. Holmgren has sported a stellar 57.4% shooting clip from the floor and shot 38% from 3-point land through 32 games.

Andrew Nembhard, PG, Indiana Pacers — It has been a difficult year for the reigning Eastern Conference champions and league runners-up. The Pacers are 6-31 and at the cellar of the league. Amid the darkness of a losing season, Nembhard, a former Zag star, has at least provided a consistent punch with 17.2 points and a team-leading seven assists per game.

Domantas Sabonis, PF, Sacramento Kings — Sabonis has been in the NBA for a decade and although he has appeared in just 11 games this year, he has given the Kings a solid showing with 18 points and 12 boards per game.

Jalen Suggs, SG, Orlando Magic — Suggs has been battling a knee injury recently, but in the 23 games he has played, he has hit 47% of his shots and 33% from beyond the arc. The former 2021 fifth overall draft pick by the Magic has posted 15 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game for an Orlando squad that sits in sixth place in the East at 21-17.

Rui Hachimura, F, Los Angeles Lakers — Through 27 games with the Lake Show, Hachimura has hit 52% of his shots and 44% from beyond the arc, with 12.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. He had the honor of taking a pass from LeBron James to sink the game-winning buzzer-beater in the Lakers' 123-120 win over the Raptors on Dec. 4. James passed the ball instead of taking the shot and, for the first time in 1,297 consecutive regular-season games, did not score at least 10 points. James finished that game with eight points and a former Zag took the burden of history and won the game.

Kelly Olynyk, C, San Antonio Spurs — The 7-foot center is the longest tenured active pro Zag in the NBA with 13 years of experience. Now playing alongside one of the best players in the world — a fellow 7-footer named Victor Wembanyama — Olynyk has hit 47% of his shots from the floor and logged 22 games with 4.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game for the Spurs. San Antonio is second in the West with a 25-11 record.

Other Zags in the NBA include Brandon Clarke (Grizzlies, 4.0 ppg), Zach Collins (Bulls, 9.7 ppg), Corey Kispert (Wizards, 9.1 ppg), Ryan Nembhard (Mavericks, 7.3 ppg), Julian Strawther (Nuggets, 3.7 ppg) and Drew Timme (Lakers, 0.67 ppg).

Taylor can be reached at 208-848-2268, staylor@lmtribune.com, or on X or Instagram @Sam_C_Taylor.

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