👏 The Journey: Jaylen Wells Always Had One Goal – To Play in the NBA
Late Bloomers Still Bloom
[LINK] Jaylen Wells has always believed in himself, even when others haven’t. A late bloomer in high school, Wells wasn’t heavily recruited, so he went to Division II Sonoma State. Undeterred, Wells showed his talent from Day 1 and in three seasons at Sonoma State became a dominant star, leading the Seawolves in nearly every statistical category.
After the 2022-23 season, in which Wells was named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Year, Wells decided to make a bet on himself and transferred to Washington State. He began the season outside the starting rotation, but that changed after just four games and Wells established himself as one of the best wings in the nation.
Selected in the second round in last year’s Draft with the 39th overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies, Wells became one of the team’s key young players, averaging 10.4 points in 2.4 points in 26 minutes a game before a broken wrist ended his season.
In a sports world obsessed with early hype and fast exposure, Wells is a reminder that late bloomers still bloom — and often, they’re the most prepared when their number is called. He didn’t transfer for clout. He transferred to grow. He didn’t chase validation. He chased competition. And when the moment came to jump again — to the NBA — he didn’t flinch.
