2022 NBA Draft: San Antonio Spurs select Kennedy Chandler, Tennessee Volunteers point guard, trade him to Memphis Grizzlies

Former Tennessee Volunteers point guard Kennedy Chandler is on his way to Memphis after the San Antonio Spurs selected him with the No. 38 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and traded him to the Grizzlies. The young talented guard out of Memphis, TN, has officially made the jump to the next level and must now prepare to help the spurs and their quest to capture the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Chandler might be a little undersized for the next level, listed at six-foot, but he makes up for it in other areas. The former Volunteers freshman guard has a listed wingspan of 6’5, which has helped out tremendously on the defensive side of the ball as he averaged 2.2 steals last season. Offensively, Chandler is what you look for in a traditional on-ball point guard. He’s able to locate teammates for open shots, control the pace, and, if left open, is an above-average shooter from 3-point range. Last season he provided an impressive stat line offensively for the Volunteers. Chandler averaged 13.9 points on 46.4% shooting from the field and 38.3% shooting from deep. He also averaged 4.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game.

The former Tennessee guard will have to make improvements in the NBA with his free throw shooting and turnovers. Chandler was on the lower end of the free-throw shooting spectrum for guards. On the year, he made 60 of his 99 free throw attempts for a percentage of just over 60. And when it comes to taking care of the basketball, Chandler recorded 85 turnovers in 34 games for an average of 2.5 turnovers per game.

Chandler has tremendous upside and potential to be at least a rotational player in the NBA. And if they take the time to develop the 19-year-old point guard, Chandler could end up becoming more than that and lead the franchise to an NBA championship.