The Memphis Grizzlies traded one-time Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz on Tuesday. Memphis received three first-round draft picks in the process, along with rookie guard Walter Clayton Jr. and veteran forwards Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks and Georges Niang.
Utah, for its part, also got Jock Landale, John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr. along with Jackson in the deal.
The move signals the Grizzlies' pivot to a full rebuild, just a few years after being considered potential title contenders. To recall, Memphis was a top-two team in the West with 50-plus wins in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
Memphis has certainly positioned itself nicely to build for the future with the trade. After dealing Jackson, the Grizzlies now have 12 first-round picks over the next seven seasons. They also created a $28.8 million trade exception, which they could use to add a high-impact young player or take on more salary in exchange for more assets.
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Jaren Jackson Trade Impacts Ja Morant
With Jackson gone, the attention now shifts to star guard Ja Morant to see whether the Grizzlies can trade him and what they can get in return.
Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Tuesday that the Grizzlies are continuing conversations about a potential deal for Morant and are "entertaining offers." He noted that "there's multiple teams with interest in Ja Morant."
However, because of the Jackson trade, the Grizzlies may have effectively limited what they can get for Morant in any deal. NBA insider Brian Windhorst highlighted this while speaking on ESPN on Tuesday as well.
"I talk to executives around the league, they think that this changes what they can expect back in a Ja Morant trade," Windhorst stated. "Instead of trying to trade Ja for as much value as they can which frankly there's not as much value for Ja."
For what it's worth, Morant's name has been mentioned in trade rumors over the last month amid a noticeable tension between him and the coaches. After a game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Morant didn't hold back in expressing his frustration with the coaching staff, adding that the message they were sending is to not play him.
Morant was suspended after that, leading to more speculation that his time in Memphis is ending sooner rather than later.
By the looks of it, the Grizzlies are determined to move on from Morant by Thursday's deadline and give the 26-year-old a fresh start somewhere else.
Morant has played in 20 games this season for the Grizzlies, averaging 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.0 steal. However, he has not played since Jan. 21 when he suffered a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow.