The Memphis Grizzlies' drop-off has persisted into the 2025-26 season, and it looks like Ja Morant's days as a member of the team are numbered. Morant has not been at his best this season when he's been playing, and at the moment, he's been dealing with a calf injury that may or may not be real considering that the writing is on the wall as far as his Grizzlies tenure is concerned.
However, the Grizzlies have to temper their expectations for what they can get for Morant. Trae Young netted the Atlanta Hawks so little in the way of a return that it's hard to see Morant commanding a lot more than the Hawks floor general did on a trade.
If Memphis were to pivot to a full-blown rebuild, they will have to trade away more than just Morant — perhaps even Jaren Jackson Jr., whom they signed to a five-year, $240 million contract extension this past offseason.
Jackson may be in the middle of a down season, but he should command a ton in any trade regardless. He's one of the best rim protectors in the league, and a bad season should not erase his track record as one of the best two-way big men in the association.
The Boston Celtics were among the teams that were rumored to be interested in Jackson should he become available on the trade market. In a golden buy-low opportunity, could the Celtics strike gold — setting themselves up for a potential run to the title in 2027 in the process once Jayson Tatum returns to full strength?
With that said, this is the perfect trade the Celtics must offer the Grizzlies to bring Jackson in.
Celtics look towards building new Big 3
Celtics acquire: Jaren Jackson Jr.
Grizzlies acquire: Anfernee Simons, Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh, 2027 BOS first-round pick (unprotected), 2031 BOS first-round pick (unprotected), 2030 first-round pick swap
Mar 31, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) shoots as Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) and Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) defend during the fourth quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Trade value of players around the NBA seems to be as difficult to gauge as ever. Four-time All-Star Trae Young netted the Hawks CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. Meanwhile, players like Desmond Bane and Mikal Bridges brought back multiple first-round picks and other assets for the Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets, respectively.
Trade value seems to be based on how teams perceive the player's impact relative to their salary. Team fit is also important; the Magic needed shooting, hence their decision to splurge for Bane. Bridges fits on any team, and the Knicks paid a premium to bring him in over his many suitors.
Jackson, at $35 million a season, is a no-brainer for most teams to acquire for multiple first-round picks. But the Grizzlies big man, at around $51 million per season for the next four years after this current campaign, will give teams reason to pause.
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After all, Jackson's numbers have been down across the board this season. From scoring 20-plus a night, he is only averaging 18.5 a night this season. His scoring efficiency is down, and it's not like he's defending at the same level he did when he won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023.
And then there's the matter of Jackson being a pitiful rebounder for a big man. It's not an exaggeration to say that he's one of the worst rebounding big men in the association. Even with no Zach Edey for much of the season to steal the rebounds, he's been woeful, averaging just 5.6 rebounds per contest. Only Myles Turner might be a worse rebounder than Jackson for a starting big man in the league.
Nevertheless, the merits of acquiring Jackson is clear. He's incredibly mobile for a big man who stands at 6'10”. One could also argue that the decline in his play comes from the overall languishment that is plaguing this struggling Grizzlies team. Perhaps on a team that's playing winning basketball under one of the best head coaches in the league in Joe Mazzulla, Jackson would go back to playing at his apex level.
Jackson can also put the ball on the floor and finish with his signature lefty baby hook, and he's been one of the most consistent stretch bigs in the association.
The Celtics would prefer to get a better rebounder than Jackson, but they did win the title back in 2024 even though their centers in Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis weren't the best at cleaning up the glass. They made up for it with their floor-spacing and rim-protecting capabilities, with Horford's unique strength lying in his ability to be a high-level connective piece and Porzingis being unique in that teams can build offenses around his shot-making ability from the perimeter.
Jackson could combine the best of both worlds for the Celtics, although he's going to need a stout rebounding partner to cover for his weaknesses. Neemias Queta may not be it. Nonetheless, the Celtics have time to find a solution at center — bringing in Jackson is the more difficult part.
The Celtics will have to part ways with two first-round picks at minimum, but with their 2029 first-round pick gone (thanks to the Jrue Holiday trade of 2023), they will have to give up their picks on odd years to adhere to the Stepien Rule. Thus, they will be giving the Grizzlies their 2027 and 2031 first-round picks in unprotected fashion. They will be adding a 2030 first-round pick swap to sweeten the deal even further.
One could argue that this draft pick return is too little for a player with a track record like Jackson's. But his contract for the next four years after this current season is such a huge commitment to take on, and we've seen as of late that when contracts like those get traded, they don't tend to go for much on the market.
Karl-Anthony Towns, for example, netted the Minnesota Timberwolves Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a heavily-protected first-round pick. Randle and DiVincenzo are much better gets than a struggling Anfernee Simons, Sam Hauser, and Jordan Walsh, but one could argue that Towns has greater trade value at the time of his move to New York than Jackson has now with the struggling Grizzlies. Thus, two first-round picks and a pick swap should be a competitive enough starting point as sweeteners for any Jackson trade talks.
As for the Grizzlies, Simons' value could be rebuilt in Memphis amid Morant's absences. Hauser should be easy to fit on the team or easy to trade away due to his 3-and-D skillset. Walsh has been a solid hustle player this season for the Celtics who could thrive in a bigger role in Memphis.