Jaylen Wells injury update: Grizzlies star's father shares promising news after fall vs. Hornets

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells is “awake and alert” after suffering a scary fall Tuesday against the Charlotte Hornets, his father wrote on social media. Wells is also waiting an X-ray and CT scan.

Wells hit the court hard after getting fouled by K.J. Simpson and stayed on the ground for some time, lying motionless while the training staff attended to him. He later got his head and neck stabilized while also getting hooked up to oxygen before leaving the court on a stretcher, giving a thumbs up on the way out.

According to his father, Wells wanted to know the score when he got to the hospital. He also has pain in his face, jaw and back in addition to a swollen wrist.

Jaylen is awake and alert. Wanted 2 know the score! Swollen wrist. Face, jaw and back pain. About to get X-ray and CT.

— Fred wells (@freddyjrrn) April 9, 2025

Simpson was called for a Flagrant 2 foul on the play, leading to his ejection. The game was also briefly in a delay while a backup ambulance came to the arena. Per NBA rules, a game cannot take place without an ambulance on site.

Memphis selected Wells in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft out of Washington State. He has become a key contributor for the Grizzlies, starting 73 of 78 appearances entering Tuesday’s game while averaging 10.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game as a rookie.

At Washington State, Jaylen Wells put together an impressive junior season after starting his career at Sonoma State. He averaged 12.6 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 43.6% from the field, including 41.7% from three-point territory before declaring for the NBA Draft.

The Grizzlies entered Tuesday’s game with a 46-32 overall record, but shook things up in a big way last week. The franchise parted ways with head coach Taylor Jenkins in a move that surprised many around the NBA and promoted Tuomaos Iisalo to interim head coach ahead of the playoff push.

“I’m genuinely appreciative of Taylor’s contributions to this team and this city over the past six seasons,” Grizzlies president and general manager of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said in a statement. “This was a difficult decision, given the consistent and tangible development of our players and overall success under Taylor’s leadership. I wish Taylor the very best going forward.”

Jenkins had a 464-250 overall record in Memphis before the change and took the franchise to three playoff appearances before missing out in 2024-25. The Grizzlies entered Tuesday with a 2-3 record after the transition.