How Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells went from Division II to All-Rookie Team Candidate

Before becoming one of the best rookies in his class, Memphis Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells bet on himself by attending Division II Sonoma State after two years as a varsity high school player with no Division I offers as doubters told him to consider a career change.

After becoming a Division II All-American, Wells transferred to Washington State, where his 3-and-D game caught the eyes of NBA talent evaluators.

Since being selected in the second round with the 39th overall pick by Memphis, Wells has become a starter on one of the NBA’s top teams and ranks second in plus-minus rating (plus-58) and third in points per game (11.5) among rookies this season.

The rookie swingman discussed his unlikely journey from Division II to the NBA and overcoming doubters, what he’s learned from Marcus Smart, how Ja Morant has been a leader behind the scenes, the challenge of guarding the opponent’s top perimeter scorer, chasing the All-Rookie Team, and more with HoopsHype.

After being a two-year varsity player and playing for Sonoma State as a Division II All-American, how would you describe your journey to the NBA?

Jaylen Wells: I would have believed it, but it definitely didn’t seem as likely at the moment. It was always something I was working for, and that was always the end goal. I wasn’t looking that far into the future. I was taking it day by day and continuing to work. Honestly, going into Sonoma State, the goal was to be there for four years, but I went a different path, and it was for the better.

Did people tell you you should start thinking of a different career path while playing Division II?

JW: I’ve been told that when I went to Sonoma State. It started in high school when I committed there. Everybody was telling me I should’ve gone Division I and tried to walk on. I thought that was the best decision for me to be in a program that wanted me there, had a plan for my development, and allowed me to be a leader by developing on and off the floor.

What did you tell people who doubted you at that time?

JW: I never really paid attention to the doubters. I paid attention to people that believed in me. The doubters are the ones that are hating on you a little bit, so there’s no point in putting your energy into them. It’s better to go ahead, be successful, and do good for the people that believe in you.

While at Sonoma State, what’s going through your mind while pursuing an NBA dream at a small school like that?

JW: I wasn’t even thinking about transferring going through my sophomore year. I was hooping and trying to win. It just happened towards the end of the year. I started to get some contacts saying they were interested in me. I put that all off towards the end of Sonoma State’s season so I could focus on winning. Shout out to Sonoma State because they helped me get to Washington State. At the end of the season, we had a conversation, and they said they’d do anything they could to get me to the best place possible, which I’d assume is not common for every school.

How did you decide to transfer to Washington State?

JW: They were the only Power Five conference school that reached out to me, and they were one of the first schools to reach out to me. Coach Wayne Hunter is from Sacramento, and we had a connection there. The interest felt genuine from them. There were other schools like North Texas, Portland, and other West Coast schools like Saint Mary’s. It felt right. I love the (Washington State) Cougar community.

I think the visit really sold me on them. It took me 20 hours to get there because of delays. But when I got there, the community was great, and everywhere you went, there were Cougar fans who knew each other. It’s a really small town that felt like a home vibe.

When did you realize you could be an NBA player?

JW: I always thought it. Specifically, going to Washington State and being on that level made me realize how in reach my dream was. Being on that platform of Pac-12 basketball, it’s some of the best college basketball in the world. Being there and knowing that if I did what I had to do, I could get to where I wanted to go.

Klay Thompson went to Washington State. Did you model your game after him or others?

JW: We follow each other on social media. My first time talking to him was when we played Dallas in the NBA Cup game, and he gave me my props after the game, which was pretty cool.

Growing up, Dwyane Wade was my favorite player. I used to be a smaller guard, so that’s where that came from. I liked his game on both sides of the floor as a smaller guard doing things that made him play like a bigger guard. A current guard that I like is Jimmy Butler. I feel like his game is very simple, and that’s kind of the player I am. I do simple things and whatever it’s going to take to win. That’s the kind of player he is. He has that winning mentality, and he plays both sides of the floor.

You’ve had an underdog story to get to the NBA. Being on the Grizzlies, do you feel like the team has also had that underdog mentality coming into the year after so many injuries last year?

JW: That was one of the coolest things getting drafted by Memphis. Someone was telling me they’re called the underdog of the city. I think it’s pretty cool to embrace that because that’s how my career has been. I definitely think we’re going to surprise a lot of people this year.

Did you know that Memphis was seriously looking at you in the draft?

JW: It was crazy because it was a last-minute thing before they drafted me. I was literally on the stairs going down to the green room while their pick was on the clock. The ESPN lady came into the staircase, and she said you’re getting picked right now, so hurry up. My family and I were running through the room. Right when I sat down, they drafted me.

How did the conversation go when you learned you’d be moved into the starting lineup ahead of Marcus Smart?

JW: There wasn’t really much of a conversation. We had a shootaround. My name was up there, and I was starting on Damian Lillard. I was ready for it. I was working as if I was going to be a starter. It came a little bit earlier than I expected, but it was pretty cool. Marcus Smart is someone I’ve been paying attention to through training camp since I’ve been here. I have a lot of respect for him.

Which vets have taken you under their wing and helped you develop?

JW: Definitely Marcus Smart. Defensively, I watch everything he does on the defensive end. He’s well respected throughout the league as a Defensive Player of the Year. He knows how to do those little things, like being physical without fouling. I think that’s probably the biggest thing. Ja Morant helps me. He’s always going to throw me the ball. Anytime I shoot it, if I miss it, I’m going to get a chance to shoot again. I have some veterans on the team that believe in me.

What’s the challenge of being assigned as the primary defender against star players as a rookie?

JW: I love it. It’s the best opportunity to learn. I’m going to have times where they’re killing me since I’m a rookie, but I’m learning every game. Defense is always something that I’ve taken pride in since I was younger. Being able to be on the biggest level and contribute defensively is fun for me.

Has anyone given you a welcome to the NBA moment?

JW: I’ve gotten two welcome to the NBA moments. First, it was in preseason. It’s random, but I was guarding Taj Gibson. I was like, “Why am I guarding Taj Gibson? This is crazy and random (laughs).” Then, guarding Luka Doncic because of how good he is at making you foul the second you’re out of position to make you pay.

How would you describe Ja Morant as a teammate and a leader?

JW: Ja is a great person who keeps the team together. He’s an exciting player who plays with a lot of passion and gives confidence to the whole team. The confidence he plays with bounces off to everyone else on the floor. I think it’s good when you have a guy who’s pretty team-oriented and comes every day to work.

What are your goals for the rest of the season?

JW: I want to win games and win a championship, which is the main goal. I want to make an All-Rookie Team. Before the season, that was my only individual goal.

What are your long-term career goals?

JW: I want to play as much as I can, whether it’s 10, 15, or 20 years. As long as I’m still contributing to winning basketball, then I’ll be ready to play.

Is there anything else about you that the average fan wouldn’t know?

JW: This brand called Sleep Nation I used to do when I was back in high school. I’m trying to start it back up again. It’s for hoopers. My old high school friend made it. It’s for sports players that are overlooked. We’d do open runs and record them so people could make mixtapes and send them to colleges. That was something we did in the Sacramento community. It’s something I want to start back up again because it relates to me and my friends' stories.

You can follow Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: How Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells went from Division II to All-Rookie Team Candidate