Jaylen Wells
Wells is a starting wing for Memphis who has opened the 2026-27 season in the first unit, and the main open question is how much of that job survives once Cedric Coward is healthy.
Role
Rotowire (via CBS Sports, Oct 24) has Wells starting Friday against the Warriors alongside Ty Jerome, GG Jackson, Cameron Boozer and Zach Edey, with Coward out with a wrist injury. Rotowire (Oct 22) has him at 28 minutes in the win over Utah. Parlae's preseason tracker (Oct 5 to Oct 16) had him starting 3 of 4 games at 18.8 minutes a game, with Coward also in that group. Competition for the wing minutes: Fox Sports' player page names Kris Murray, Jerami Grant and GG Jackson, but that blurb is undated and I could not confirm it is current. I have not confirmed a minutes split or usage rate for the regular season. The toe issue (surgery in March 2026) carries no designation now.
He started the first regular-season games I found and played 28 minutes against Utah, with four steals and a plus-25. Rotowire's notes say his playing time and defense give him appeal in deeper formats. SI's projected lineup (about 61 days old) also pencils him into the starting five and calls him a reliable perimeter defender for the closing group. He started all 69 games he played last season, averaging 12.5 points in 26.4 minutes.
Ty Jerome is getting the scoring opportunities, and Boozer now runs the offense, so Wells is probably a complementary piece. Fox Sports warns that the small forward spot could become a timeshare with Murray, Grant and Jackson. Parlae's preseason minutes (18.8 per game) were well below last season's 26.4. His latest start came only because Coward was out, and the sources I found do not say whether he keeps that spot when Coward returns.
Where analysts split
Whether Wells keeps the starting wing spot once Coward is healthy, or drops to a bench or timeshare role with Murray, Grant and Jackson. The preseason lineup trackers had both Coward and Wells starting, while the Fox Sports note says he lost a preseason start to Murray. That note is undated, so I could not tie it to this preseason.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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