Memphis enters 2027-27 with a roster full of new faces and new expectations to Match. Amongst those is Taylor Hendricks . While he might have been originally seen as a throw-in within the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, Hendricks could change everything for the Grizzlies this year.
Utah selected Hendricks No. 9 in the 2023 draft out of UCF, the highest and first selection in the Knights history. As a freshman, he averaged 15.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while shooting 39.4% from three. He is 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, with that kind of frame ability, it made him look like a ideal two-way forward prospect.
The rookie flashes backed it up. Hendricks started his final 23 games of the 2023-24 season average 9.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists on 40.4% three-point shooting.
Then his second season ended before it even really started. On Oct. 28, 2024, the third game of the season for the Jazz , Hendricks fractured his fibula and dislocated his ankle in a non-contact fall against Dallas . He was stretchered off the floor and did not see any more action that season.
Hendricks returned to the court that summer and eventually worked himself back into NBA form and action to begin the 2025-26 season.
He spent the first half of last season buried behind a crowded Jazz frontcourt on tanking team. In 33 games before the trade deadline, he averaged 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.9 minutes a night.
Memphis, in the midst of their own roster reconstruction, changed everything for Hendricks. As on Feb. 3, 2026, franchise pillar Jaren Jackson Jr. was sent to Utah, in return the Grizzlies aquired Hendricks along with Walter Clayton Jr. , Kyle Anderson and three first-round picks.
He made his Grizzlies debut Feb. 6 against Portland , and began filling his role almost immediately.
His best stretch spanned mid-February through mid-Match. On Feb. 10 against Golden State , he posted 15 points, 10 rebounds and three steals for his fist double-double of the season. Against Indiana on March 1, he came off the bench for a season-high 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including five threes. On March 12 against Dallas, he picked up a second double-double, before then on March 19 versus Denver , going on to set a career high of six steals to go with three blocks.
Hendricks would then deal with a various thumb and finger injuries throughout the rest of the season, leaving him to play 26 games with the Grizzlies. In those he put up 10.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals in nearly 25 minutes a night, more than double his scoring from earlier in the season.
His per-36-minutes stats showed his effecincy and ability, especially on the defensive end, with 2.1 steals and 1.3 blocker per 36 with Memphis. This could be a possible sign of what else Hendricks could bring to the table if given the opportunity .
His shooting is still the swing skill in his game. Hendricks shot 32.4% from three with Memphis, a slight drop from 34.3% in Utah before the trade. If that number climbs into the high 30's, there is no reason he cannot be a full-time rotation piece, or maybe even a starter.
This season will be a different picture for Hendricks again. Cameron Boozer 's arrival gives Memphis another big body, alongside aquisitions of Isiah Stewart and Quinten Post , as well as Edey returning from injury.
I do believe however Hendricks could play the small forward or possibly even the shooting guard for the grizzlies at points this season, to open up more opportunities and variations in lineups. He is able to switch onto almost any position, protect the rim and even space the floor if needed.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/grizzlies/onsi as The underrated Grizzlies player who could emerge in 2026-27 .
