It was just two years ago that Jaylen Wells was playing for the Sonoma State University Seawolves during a storied two-year stint in Rohnert Park that helped him advance to a Division 1 program and then the NBA.

Now, SSU’s first — and possibly last — NBA player is looking to get involved in saving the school’s athletic programs, and could be employing the help of one of his star teammates.

Wells took to social media this week to show his support for the #SaveSeawolvesAthletics movement that is starting to gain steam after the school’s bombshell announcement Wednesday that it would cut all 11 of its athletic programs for the 2025-26 school year to try to address the university’s $23.9-million budget deficit.

The news came as shock to SSU’s 200-plus student athletes, their coaches and the community at large. In response, coaches have formed the Save Seawolves Athletics group to coordinate efforts to reverse the decision. They have also filed several legal challenges against the school.

“It definitely sucks just because I spent two years there, I loved it there and now there won’t be any sports anymore,” Wells told The Press Democrat Sunday evening. “That’s a place I wanted to go back to and help later in my career, with whatever, facilities or stuff like that. Very sad to see.”

Wells, a 6-foot-8 sharpshooting forward, is one of the favorites to win NBA Rookie of the Year. Third in scoring among first-year players at 11.9 points per game, Wells is a key rotation player for the Memphis Grizzlies, who have the fifth-best record in the league.

Part of the Save Seawolves Athletics strategy is to get prominent alumni involved, which is where Wells may be able to play a role. Wells said he’ll help in whatever way he can, which for now, has been spreading awareness on social media.

“Besides just bringing it more to the public and getting more resources to cover it, I’m not really sure what else to do,” he said. “That’s one thing that kind of hurts because I feel like it’s hard to help. I don’t know how realistic it is, if this is already decided and there’s no way they’re going back.”

Wells shared posts this week on Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, with the hashtag #SaveSeawolvesAthletics. His post on X garnered a response from teammate Ja Morant, one of the top players in the NBA, who indicated he could be willing to get involved.

“He texted me separately, just basically saying he’d like to help,” Wells said. “But I just want to make sure that before he gets involved that it’s actually possible and there’s a reason to help the cause and it’s not just a lost cause where it’s already been decided and there’s no chance of going back.”

The school estimated that cutting athletics would save $3.7 million, but coaches argue that the actual figure is much lower since more than $2 million of their funding comes from student fees. Coaches said that they’ve asked university officials how much money they would need to raise to save their programs but have yet to receive answer.

Wells, a product of Folsom High School, was the Sacramento Bee’s All-Metro Player of the Year in 2021. However he had little interest from Division 1 colleges, mainly because of the extra year of eligibility granted to collegiate players during COVID. He eventually landed at Sonoma State, where he was named the conference player of the year and a Division 2 All-America his sophomore year. He transferred to Washington State for his junior year and was drafted 39th overall by Memphis in the NBA Draft in June.

When asked if he’d be in the NBA if he hadn’t gone to Sonoma State, Wells said “There’s no way.”

“I think the best decision I made in my career was going to Sonoma State,” he added. “(Head men’s basketball coach) Rich Shayewitz, when he recruited me, kept every promise, he was everything he said he would be. I just thank him for the person he was and the staff that surrounded me. Sonoma State, I mean, not even as a player but as a person, I was able to grow there.”

As one of the top rookies in the NBA this season, Wells is on track to get an invitation for All-Star Weekend this year, which is being hosted by the Golden State Warriors in February.

“I should be in the All-Star Weekend in San Francisco so hopefully I can take a trip up to Sonoma State and do something during that time, if it’s not too late,” Wells said.

You can reach Staff Writer Gus Morris at 707-304-9372 or gus.morris@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @JustGusPD.