ALTHOUGH it did not result in a spot on an NBA roster, Aussie big man Will Magnay was rock solid in his final outing with the Memphis Grizzlies at the 2025 Summer League, which took place in Las Vegas over the past couple of weeks.

Following another impressive campaign with the Tasmania JackJumpers over the past 12 months, the NBL Champion and former league Most Improved Player was added to the Grizzlies’ Summer League roster, given the opportunity to earn a spot on the NBA roster for the upcoming 2025/26 season.

He did not receive much playing time to start the fixture, spending the first few games as a ‘DNP – Coach’s Decision’, but got his opportunity in the closing games of the tournament as the Grizzlies got a look at what he can bring when he is on the court.

Magnay was named as the team’s starting center for the last couple of games, and delivered his best outing of the Summer League in Memphis’ final match, playing a crucial role in the blowout victory over the Los Angeles Clippers over the weekend.

Memphis Grizzlies (105) def. Los Angeles Clippers (82)

Will Magnay – nine points, eight rebounds, two assists, three steals

The Aussie center flirted with a double-double in the big win over the Clippers, having a big impact on both sides of the ball, and despite the fact that it was his last outing with the Grizzlies, it showed that his game can translate to the top level.

He started the match getting involved with an early offensive rebound, and although his putback attempt did not fall, it showed that the opposition needs to get a body on early if they are to keep Magnay off the glass. The Aussie spent some time on the bench but returned later in the quarter to show his craft on the defensive end, swatting an attempted hook shot from the opposition with a great read and perfect timing.

He recorded his first scores of the game with a pair of free throws to close out the first frame, showing composure and skill at the charity stripe, and demonstrating improvement in this area of his game since his last NBL stint.

Unfortunately, Magnay got into some foul trouble to start the second frame, and had to spend a large chunk of the quarter on the bench as the team looked to extend his availability as much as possible. Three fouls in the term meant the Australian could not have much of an impact heading into half time, but he did still manage to pull down a couple of rebounds in the frame.

The third term saw Magnay showcase his brilliant best on both ends of the floor, kicking things off with a nice cutting layup through contact, which resulted in an and-one in a perfect display of his strength and skill around the basket. He followed that up immediately down the other end, swatting an attempted layup by Clippers draftee Kobe Sanders to maintain his paint protection in a blistering start to the second half.

After spending most of the third quarter on the bench after his two-way blitz, Magnay returned to the fold in the fourth period, and got involved in the dying stages of the match. He began to showcase his impressive vision by finding his teammates on the drive on multiple occasions to show that he has the traits required of a modern big man.

Magnay recorded his third block of the match when he rejected another attempted hookshot in the paint, this time from former NBL Next Star Trentyn Flowers, with the big man again timing the leap to perfection to meet the ball on its way to the basket. After another successful trip to the free throw line, Magnay rounded out the match with a well-timed putback, tipping the ball into the hoop for Memphis’ final score of the game.

He finished with nine points, eight rebounds and three blocks in a tremendous two-way performance for the Grizzlies. Magnay will now return to Australia ahead of another campaign with the JackJumpers for the upcoming NBL season.