Tyler Tanner Faces 11:59 pm ET Draft Deadline After Grizzlies Workout
Tyler Tanner worked out with the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday while facing an 11:59 pm Eastern deadline to withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft and keep his NCAA eligibility. The Vanderbilt guard was still weighing whether to stay in the draft, a choice that could send him toward the next phase of his career or back to campus.
Tanner’s draft window
Tanner entered the day as a potential first-round pick and the most highly regarded prospect in the Grizzlies’ workout group. That made the session more than a standard evaluation; it put him in front of a team that controlled the third, 16th, and 32nd overall picks.
The timing mattered because early entrants had until 11:59 pm Eastern on Wednesday to withdraw and retain NCAA eligibility. For Tanner, that meant the workout and the clock were running at the same time.
Memphis brought in four prospects
The Grizzlies’ group also included Chase Ross, Sam Alexis, and J’Vonne Hadley. Tanner was the headliner among them, the player with the clearest draft profile and the one whose decision carried the most immediate weight.
Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal reported the workout, which places Tanner’s next move in the middle of a very tight window. If he stays in, he remains part of the 2026 draft pool; if he withdraws by the deadline, he preserves the option to return to Vanderbilt.
The pressure point is simple: one night, one deadline, one decision that determines whether Tanner keeps chasing the draft or protects his college eligibility. For Vanderbilt, the outcome also shapes whether one of its top prospects is available again next season.
Grizzlies draft leverage
Memphis had the kind of draft capital that makes every workout matter. With picks at third, 16th, and 32nd overall, the team could influence where Tanner stands in the draft conversation, even if it does not control his final choice.
That is the real hinge in this story. Tanner was not just working out for evaluation; he was doing it while trying to decide whether the NBA route is ready now or whether another season in college still makes the most sense.
