Heading into the offseason, Memphis general manager Zach Kleiman said he was looking for “dogs” to add to the Grizzlies’ roster. Those in the Mountain State won’t be surprised to learn Kleiman’s search for dogs led him to WVU’s Javon Small.

With the 48th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies selected West Virginia guard Javon Small. Small is a tenacious 6’3 guard who can score on all three levels, as in 2025 he was named First Team All-Big 12 after averaging 19 points and six assists for the Mountaineers.

He's just the sixth former Mountaineer this century to be taken, joining Joe Alexander, Devin Ebanks, Da'Sean Butler, and Jevon Carter, in addition to McBride.Small began his career at East Carolina and then spent one year each at Oklahoma State and West Virginia to round out his collegiate career.