There's a big difference between the first five second-round NBA Draft picks and the last 25. Those first few selections are often treated as overflow from the first round -- the players who didn't quite make that top-30 cut, but are absolutely talented enough to be taken in the first round of any given class. The last 25 are often flyers. Players that NBA teams will reserve the rights to before keeping tabs via the G-League, a two-way contract, or stashing overseas. Richie Saunders fits snugly into the first designation.
A player who is far more than a glue guy. Far more than a shooter. Far more than a hustler. Far more than a leader. That's what you get in BYU product Richie Saunders -- a package that is far more than the bullet points on his resume.
That's exactly why Adam Finkelstein planted his flag on Saunders' draft value: he believes Saunders will be an NBA player for the long haul.
"[Saunders] is an A- [pick]," Finkelstein raved following his selection. "We saw a lot of proven, high-floor veterans get picked late in the first round yesterday. If Richie Saunders hadn't torn his ACL, I think he would have been in that category. The Memphis Grizzlies are the best second-round drafting team in the NBA, and they prove it every single year."
"This is going to be the latest piece of evidence. Richie Saunders isn't just an NBA player, he's going to be an NBA player for a long time."
"Richie Saunders is going to be an NBA player for a long time."@AdamFinkelstein loves this pick from the Grizzlies. 👀 pic.twitter.com/R5a8Q0x1Oq
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) June 25, 2026
The Grizzlies deserve that designation, as they found honest NBA quality talent in the second round in three consecutive seasons with Vince Williams, GG Jackson, and Jaylen Wells. Richie Saunders is just another name on that list, and a crucial element of the Grizzlies' current blueprint to grow into a competitor again.
Though he'll likely not start as a rookie, Saunders delivers on-court and off-court value in spades for his draft position. There's a good reason why Richie was present for the press conferences and photoshoots alongside Memphis' first-rounders: they have every intention of utilizing his talents from day one.
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