For those UT fans who might have gone to bed after Chaz Lanier went 37th overall to the Detroit Pistons last night, thinking the draft was over for Tennessee….well, think again.
Jahmai Mashack was taken by the Houston Rockets with the draft’s final pick – 59th overall. The pick was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, meaning the former Vol will remain in the Volunteer state.
heard that!
the dream realized for VFL Jahmai Mashack pic.twitter.com/bQGZ17EJ3b
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) June 27, 2025
Mashack just got to live a dream that very, very few do, given how the league’s draft is two rounds. So whatever happens from now on, that’s a very cool life moment that no one can take from him.
Now, on to the basketball part of it. Mashack is joining a team that, as many Vol fans know, has a player on it that Mashack played against in college and that Tennessee fans don’t like very much – former Purdue center Zach Edey. The former All-American finished his rookie season with the Grizzlies with 21.5 minutes per game, 9.3 ppg, and 8.3 rpg.
Mashack is a clear defensive specialist and was drafted as such. And that can be something that helps him stick on the roster and in the league – if he can continue to develop his offensive game and find a way to contribute a bit more on that end. Regardless, it’s a good sign that an NBA team saw enough in that skillset and his upside to take a chance on him.