Richie Saunders is headed to the Memphis Grizzlies after they took him with the No. 32 pick in the 2026 NBA draft. The 24-year-old BYU guard arrives as a potential role player, but his torn ACL left his collegiate career ending early and his availability tied to recovery.
Richie Saunders and the No. 32 pick
At 6 feet 5 inches and 205 pounds, Saunders gives Memphis a shot-making wing with size. He also brings a 6 feet 8.75 inches wingspan, a useful marker for a player who can fit around other creators instead of carrying the offense himself.
His production at BYU was strong enough to make the selection make sense on paper. Saunders averaged 18.0 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, and 2.1 assists per game, while adding 0.3 blocks per game and 1.7 steals per game.
BYU shooting numbers
The efficiency numbers are the part Memphis will circle first. Saunders shot 48.9 percent from the field, 37.6 percent from 3-point range, and 81.7 percent from the free throw line, and he finished four years at BYU at 38.7 percent from the field across that span.
Most of his baskets came off the catch, not as a self-created scorer. He shot 65.0 percent on two-point attempts in transition before getting hurt and made 18 of 28 threes in transition before getting hurt, two signs of a player who can finish quick actions and move without the ball.
ACL and NBA role
The complication is the torn ACL. Saunders' collegiate career ended early because of it, and that makes the draft pick less about immediate help and more about when he can get back to full speed.
That recovery issue sits alongside the other concern in his profile: he may have difficulty guarding quicker guards or more powerful wings in the NBA. Even so, the blend of shooting, decision-making, and off-ball movement explains why Memphis used the No. 32 pick on him in the 2026 NBA draft.
