Player card
- Team/status: reported Memphis two-way agreement; absent from the July 18 NBA roster page, so final paperwork should be rechecked.
- Position: C in college/reporting; platform eligibility pending.
- Age/experience: 22 during the season; rookie.
- Depth role: G League center and emergency call-up, zero base minutes; 8 minutes when active.
- Pre-NBA baseline: 35 Michigan State games, 26.8 MPG, 11.1 PTS, 7.1 REB, about 1.5 BLK, .584 FG and .788 FT. Michigan State 2025-26 statistics
2026-27 projection
| State | GP | MPG | FG% (FGA) | FT% (FTA) | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representative rotation | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Two-way call-up line | 18 | 8 | .590 (2.0) | .740 (0.8) | 0.0 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
Nine-category/points: not draftable; emergency rebounds/blocks streamer only. Dynasty: very deep two-way stash whose real-life center fundamentals are more developed than his offensive fantasy ceiling.
Range and risks
- Strengths: FG%, rebounding, blocks and low-complexity role.
- Liabilities: no threes, low assists/steals and fourth-center depth.
- Floor/base/ceiling: G League-only / brief call-ups / multiple center injuries create 16 minutes and roughly 6/5 with one block.
- Branches: Edey restrictions help, but Stewart and Post remain ahead.
Local reporting says Cooper agreed to a Memphis two-way. The official NBA roster page had not yet added him by the research cut, so roster confidence is medium-high rather than high. WILX, 2026-06-25
Confidence
| Component | Label | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Roster | Medium-high | Credible two-way report, not yet on official roster page. |
| Minutes | Low | Fourth-center emergency path. |
| Rate | Low-medium | College-to-NBA translation. |
| Availability | High | No current restriction found. |
Sources
- ESPN college stats — accessed 2026-07-18.
Career record
Pre-NBA: Michigan State, four seasons (2022-26), 137 games. Career reserve for three years (1.6/0.9 in 6.6 MPG as a freshman; 3.4/4.4 then 5.0/5.2 in about 17 MPG the next two), then a 35-start senior season: 26.7 MPG, 11.1 PTS, 7.1 REB, 1.5 AST, 1.0 BLK on .584 FG / .788 FT. Career: 5.4 PTS / 4.5 REB / 0.6 BLK on .588 FG. Draft: undrafted (2026); reported Memphis two-way agreement in late June.
No NBA record. Most recent season: 2025-26 at Michigan State (35 GP, 26.7 MPG, 11.1 PTS, 7.1 REB).
Durability: No injury flags — 30-37 games every college season.
Trajectory: The record is a slow, steady big-man development curve: four years in one program, efficiency always excellent (never below .533 FG), with real production arriving only when starter minutes did as a senior. The block totals (1.0 per game at peak) are more modest than his rim-protector reputation suggests. In 2026-27 he competes for the fourth-center/G League anchor job behind Memphis's three established centers. He becomes fantasy-relevant only if multiple Grizzlies centers are out at once, and even then as a short-window FG%/rebounds stream, not a season-long hold.
Career sources: ESPN college stats, Wikipedia, 247Sports undrafted signing report.
Open questions
- When will Memphis officially announce or list the two-way?
- Can Cooper defend NBA space well enough to earn call-ups ahead of small-ball options?