What Is the Injury Update for Memphis Grizzlies Rookie Jaylen Wells?
Jaylen Wells, who is a small forward and shooting guard, was drafted in the second round by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Published April 9 2025, 2:01 p.m. ET
In the world of sports, injuries are to be expected, but actually seeing them play out in real time is still quite shocking — which is the case with the injury of NBA rookie Jaylen Wells.
Jaylen, who is a small forward and shooting guard, was drafted in the second round by the Memphis Grizzlies and made his major league NBA debut on Oct. 24, 2024.
What is the injury update on Jaylen Wells?
After breaking his right wrist after falling on his head and arm due to a hard foul by Charlotte Hornets guard KJ Simpson, Jaylen is reportedly “awake and alert,” according to ESPN.
Jaylen’s father, Fred Wells, said that his son was alert enough to ask what the score of the game was, which the Grizzlies ended up winning 124-100, and shared that Jaylen had pain in his face, jaw, and back, per the outlet.
What happened to Jaylen during the game?
After catching an outlet pass from Ja Morant and then attempting to dunk, KJ undercut him, which caused Jaylen to lose his balance in the air, land on his side, and slam his head against the court, ESPN reported. Following the injury, the game was delayed for 23 minutes.
A subsequent review led NBA officials to call a flagrant foul on KJ for unnecessary contact, resulting in an automatic ejection. KJ did, however, show concern for injuring Jaylen when he checked on him before he was removed from the court on a stretcher. He also appeared distraught, per the outlet.
What was the response after Jaylen’s injury?
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), KJ again shared his concern for Jaylen and also apologized. "I know we already spoke and are good friends, bro, but again, I just wanted to express not only to J but to his family as well how deeply sorry I am," KJ wrote." I would never purposely do that to anyone. I’m just extremely sorry."
Jaylen replied to KJ’s message, writing, "Much love brother. Thank you."
Ja also expressed concern for Jaylen after the injury that will likely bring his rookie season to an end. "It's tough. I threw the pass and turned around, and was doing our little touchdown celebration. When I got there, the first thing I saw was blood, and I've got a weak stomach. We've just got to stay with him and keep praying for him. It's next man up. Obviously, that hurts. Guys will just have to be ready."
Memphis Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo also shared kind words for Jaylen. “It puts everything into perspective seeing that situation and to see Jaylen there. He’s an incredibly tough kid and had a great season,” Iisalo said, according to the New York Times.
So far this season, Jaylen has been a standout for the Grizzlies team, posting up impressive stats. In his rookie year, he has started in 74 games this season, averaging 10.5 points and 3.4 rebounds this season, per the outlet.