Grizzlies take TyTy Washington Jr. with No. 29 pick, trade him to Rockets

The Memphis Grizzlies have selected Kentucky guard TyTy Washington Jr. with the 29th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and will trade him to the Houston Rockets.

Houston landed the 29th pick, plus future second-rounders, from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the 26th selection, a source told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Minnesota reportedly acquired No. 29 from the Grizzlies earlier in the draft.

A consensus five-star guard out of high school, Washington initially committed to Creighton before reopening his recruitment and pledging to join John Calipari at Kentucky. He recorded 12.5 points, 3.9 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game in his lone season with the Wildcats. Washington's freshman numbers don't immediately jump off the page. However, he had a couple of injury concerns and shared a backcourt with fellow ball-handler Sahvir Wheeler, who was entrusted with a bigger share of Kentucky's playmaking duties.

Even then, Washington still proved why he was so highly regarded. His best performance came when he posted 17 points and 17 assists in a win against Georgia in January, breaking the school's single-game record of 16 assists set by John Wall in 2009.

The 20-year-old is arguably further in his decision-making than most of the other guards in the draft. Washington prefers to keep things simple as a playmaker but still tends to make the right reads while keeping a well-rounded game under control.

Bio

Position: Guard
School: Kentucky
College experience: Freshman
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 196.4 lbs
Wingspan: 6-foot-8
Max vertical: N/A

Strengths

• Incredibly sound with the ball; averaged just 1.6 turnovers compared to 3.9 assists on a 22.5% usage rate
• Thrives operating in the pick-and-roll
• Keeps defenders guessing on drives thanks to a solid mix of mid-range pull-ups off the dribble and a soft touch on floaters

Weaknesses

• Not the quickest or most athletic guard and unlikely to get by many with his first step
• Can't get to the rim often, which forces him to rely on floaters and mid-range
• Doesn't stretch the floor consistently (35% from deep on 3.3 attempts per game)