Zach Edey Bio: Net Worth, Salary, and Professional Career

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Zach Edey has become a significant player for the Memphis Grizzlies. He was born and brought up in Toronto, where he has completed his high school at Leaside High School, and he managed to have a balance between his academics and on the court. He played four seasons for the college and managed to set many records before he was selected as the ninth overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2024 NBA draft.

Edey was also once considered by multiple different teams when the 2024 NBA draft happened, and there was a time when he had an option for a potential two way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. Due to injuries, Edye thrived late in basketball and enrolled at Purdue after coming from Canada. However, he survived and made it to the NBA.

Zach Edey Early Life

Growing up in Toronto's Leaside neighborhood, basketball wasn't his first passion. He initially excelled in other sports, playing baseball and particularly ice hockey, where he dreamed of becoming the first seven-foot pitcher. Despite his rapid growth, his parents didn't push him into basketball. Edey only started playing organized basketball during his sophomore year of high school at Leaside High School in Toronto. When he realized his passion for basketball, he took a shift to IMG Academy to improve his skills in basketball and pursue a career in basketball, which was indeed a good decision, as we can see his college records and stats.

Zach Edey Personal Information

As we can see that Zach Edey has become an inspiration for many college athletes, not only because of his basketball skills but also for his behavior with his teammates. His cheerful nature of enjoying a new city and exploring new food also gained the fans' interest in him. Let's take a quick dive into his biography to know more. As per Basketball Reference players' data, here is some of his personal information:

Zach Edey Personal Life

Zach Edey personal life is relatively private. He has a younger brother, Doug Edey, who also played basketball and attended Leaside High School like Zach. Edey's hobbies and interests outside of basketball are not widely publicized, but he has mentioned a desire to start a business someday, possibly a food establishment, indicating an entrepreneurial spirit. He also has a pre-game ritual that includes napping, going to the gym, and shooting 200 hook shots daily. Edey has spoken about feeling like an "outsider" at times due to his height and being Chinese Canadian in a sport where few look like him, suggesting a not so good personal experience with his unique identity.

Zach Edey Parents

Zach Edey parents are Julia and Glen Edey. His parents played a very important role in shaping his basketball career from his initial days till now in his professional career. His mother, Julia Edey, is a Chinese immigrant in Toronto and grew up playing basketball herself, though she pursued a career as a mechanical engineer for 30 years, retiring during Zach's freshman year of college. She has become a Purdue fan favourite, known for her support at games and her strong social media presence, where she shares about their family life, and we can also see that she often cooks meals for Zach's team and has even taken up beekeeping as a hobby in retirement. Zach's father, Glen Edey, is White and also played sports, including baseball, in his youth. While he maintains a lower public profile than Julia, Glen has been equally supportive of Zach's journey.

Zach Edey Girlfriend

After scouring the NBA player's social media profiles, two things can be observed: one, there is no information available about Zach Edey Girlfriend, and second, that he may have someone but keeps it private. Moreover, it is clear that Zach likes to maintain a very private personal life, particularly about his romantic relationships. There are no reported details, public rumors, or the media hasn't covered his current partner or rumors.

Zach Edey Contract

Zach Edey contract with the Memphis Grizzlies is a four-year rookie-scale agreement, signed on July 6, 2024, after he was drafted. The total valuation of this contract is $26.20 million, which includes a guaranteed salary of approximately $11.80 million over the initial two years, along with two years of team options that his team will decide. As per his entry in the NBA, we assume he will grab many more contracts with his records and achievements in the game.

Zach Edey Salary

As per his recent contract with the Memphis, Zach Edey Salary for the 2024-2025 season is estimated at around $5.7 million. In addition to his base NBA salary, Edey has the opportunity to earn up to $500,000 in performance bonuses. These bonuses could be triggered by achievements like making the All-Rookie teams or if the team performs well in the playoffs.

Edey’s 2025-26 base salary with Memphis is $6,045,000, akin to what Orlando Magic center Jalen Duren received as a rookie. As his contract includes team includes two year player option, which shows that the Memphis Grizzlies view Edey as a potential core player for their future. If he performs strongly, he could receive a significant contract extension following his third year under this rookie-scale agreement. Based on this contract, we have estimated his salary for different seasons as per Spotrac salary stats in the table below:

Zach Edey Net Worth

Zach Edey's financial landscape has seen a significant shift with his entry into the NBA in the 2024-25 season. Before his professional signing, his NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals in college were valued between $100,000 and $300,000. It's important to note that as a Canadian citizen on a student visa, Edey faced limitations on earning NIL money in the U.S., though he did secure deals through passive income and international ventures, including a notable endorsement with KFC. Upon being drafted 9th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2024 NBA Draft, Zach Edey net worth is expected to be around $1 million.

Zach Edey Career

Zach Edey's basketball career has been a fan favourite and a good start in the NBA. During his college career, he has achieved averages of 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game and has become the biggest player in the Big Ten. In 2023 and 2024, won consecutive National Player of the Year awards, leading Zach Edey's college Purdue, to last year's NCAA Championship Game.

In his rookie NBA season (2024-25), he played 66 games, starting 55, averaging 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, achieving the NBA All-Rookie First Team selection. Zach Edey also set a Memphis Grizzlies rookie record with 21 rebounds in one game. Let's know more about Zach's high school career, college, and professional career in detail.

Zach Edey High School Career

Zach Edey's high school basketball journey is pretty wild because he started playing the sport super late. Before picking up basketball seriously, he was interested in baseball and even hockey back in Toronto. Can you imagine a 7'4" hockey player? He first tried basketball at Leaside High School in Toronto during his sophomore year. It wasn't long before his height and his talent caught the eyes. He then transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, taking his first step towards his successful basketball career. There, he started to improve his skills, working his way up from their second-tier team to the national varsity squad by his senior year. By the time he was a senior, he became a strong player, shooting 70% from the floor and dominating the boards and blocks, playing alongside future NBA players.

Zach Edey College Career

Zach Edey played his college basketball at Purdue and, with his unique style he has managed to achieve many records and awards. Year after year, he just kept improving. His footwork got better, his touch around the rim sharpened, and by his junior and senior seasons, he was a strong player on the court. He has won National Player of the Year and a couple of Big Ten awards along the way, too. It’s wild to think how far he has come in just a few seasons. In a very short time, he managed to improve his game to such a level that he was selected as a draft pick in the NBA draft at a very early age. In the table below, we have presented his college stats as per Sports Reference stats data:

Zach Edey Professional Career

Zach Edey’s basketball journey is pretty wild when you think about it. He didn’t even start playing seriously until high school, but once he did, his size (he’s 7'4"!) and skill quickly turned heads. His pro game started during his college career, where he has improved himself drastically. His footwork, touch around the rim, and ability to control the game improved over time. By his junior and senior seasons, Edey was putting up crazy numbers, double-doubles almost every night. He won the Naismith Player of the Year award and was named Big Ten Player of the Year twice. His presence on the court was just different, and fans love to watch him on the court. Now that he has been drafted into the NBA, it will be fun and interesting to see him in his recent matches and to know how he will apply his gaming skills in the NBA. In the table below, we have mentioned Zach Edey's stats for the 2024-2025 season:

Zach Edey Shoes

Zach Edey has made his presence felt both on the court and through his style. When it comes to shoes, he’s often seen in Nike G.T. Hustle 2s built for support and power, perfect for someone whose main focus is his game. His choice isn’t weird, but it matches his focused and classy way of playing the game. The choices are all about function and grip, helping him stay balanced under pressure. Moreover, he does not have a shoe deal with the brand. Due to the big size that he carries, his shoe size is still difficult to get. That's why he usually dons the buffed Nike GT Hustle shoes that provide him the necessary space to play the game without any trouble to his feet.

Zach Edey Jersey

When he was at Purdue University, Zach wore the number 15 jersey, which quickly became a fan favorite as he came to the NBA and gained national attention. His jersey has seen his transformation from time to time as he becomes a professional basketball player in the NBA. After moving to the NBA and joining the Memphis Grizzlies in 2024, he made a slight switch and now plays under jersey number 14. Though the number changed, the intensity didn’t.

Zach Edey Awards and Achievements

Zach Edey's awards and achievements throughout his collegiate career justify his place as one of the most dominant players in NCAA history. As of the current date, his professional NBA career is still in its early stages, so major NBA awards are yet to be determined. Zach Edey won the National Player of the Year award in college, joining legendary recipients like Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, before starting his NBA career. We have listed below all her awards and achievements: