Grading the Memphis Grizzlies' 2022 NBA draft pick: Wake Forest wing Jake LaRavia

It's hard to cast doubt on this Memphis Grizzlies front office given its success in the past three NBA drafts. If they like Wake Forest's Jake LaRavia, there's plenty of evidence to suggest they might turn out to be right.

But Memphis did elect to trade both of its first-round picks (No. 22 and No. 29) to Minnesota in order to move up three spots to choose LaRavia. The question is whether they needed to do that to pick a 6-foot-8 wing many mock drafts suggested would still be available at No. 22. It's the same question the Grizzlies faced last year when they chose Ziaire Williams at No. 10 and that seemed to work out just fine.

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For all the success Memphis enjoyed during its breakout 56-win season, it wasn't a particularly good shooting team. LaRavia brings another accurate shooter with enough athleticism to provide the defensive versatility the Grizzlies seek at a position they've clearly identified as one in which they want to upgrade moving forward.

LaRavia would fit the mold of a productive college player and advanced stats darling who the Grizzlies identified in the past with Brandon Clarke and Desmond Bane.

Grade: B

You can reach Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto via email at mgiannotto@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter: @mgiannotto

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: How we graded Memphis Grizzlies' 2022 NBA draft pick: Jake LaRavia