Grizzlies second-rounder Richie Saunders will open the season with the G League’s Memphis Hustle

The Memphis Grizzlies’ top pick in the second round will start his professional career away from the NBA roster. Richie Saunders, the No. 32 overall pick in the 2026 draft, is on the training camp roster of the Memphis Hustle after signing a G League contract, the team announced, making him a domestic draft-and-stash prospect rather than a rookie on a standard deal.

The route is unusual for a pick that high. Players drafted in the early second round typically sign three- or four-year NBA contracts, often with multiple guaranteed seasons. Saunders’ case was never that straightforward: the BYU wing tore his ACL in February and missed the end of his final college season, and he could spend a significant part of 2026-27 finishing his recovery. Rory Maher noted that Saunders could still sign a standard deal with Memphis after the trade deadline, when the Grizzlies may have opened a roster spot and his knee should be further along.

Saunders was a first-team All-Big 12 selection and the conference’s Most Improved Player in 2025, then made second-team All-Big 12 in 2026 before the injury ended his season after 25 games.