On Tuesday afternoon, the Memphis Grizzlies decided to shake things up by trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz in a deal centered around future draft capital. The news was first reported by ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania on X, formerly Twitter.
The full trade details are as follows, per Brett Siegel.
Grizzlies:
G Walter Clayton
Jr. F Taylor Hendricks
F Kyle Anderson
F Georges Niang
2027 MIN/CLE/UTA 1st round pick (more favorable)
2027 LAL 1st round pick
PHX 2031 1st round pick
Jazz:
F Jaren Jackson Jr.
G/F John Konchar
C Jock Landale
F Vince Williams Jr.
Let's take a look at how the two sides fared in the deal.
Grizzlies' trade grade
Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) dribbles as Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) defends during the first half at FedExForum.
© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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Jackson Jr. is now the second member of the Grizzlies' once-young core to be moved in the last year, as Desmond Bane was sent to the Orlando Magic in exchange for four first-round picks over the offseason.
Charania also noted that “The Grizzlies have also created a massive $28.8 million trade exception in this deal — the largest ever in the NBA,” citing a report from Bobby Marks.
The Grizzlies now have a whopping 13 first-round picks over the next seven NBA drafts, which is tied for the most in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brooklyn Nets, per Marks.
This being the case, it seems that the Grizzlies are all-in on starting over and rebuilding, and they've done a great job of acquiring significant future assets in doing so. Clayton Jr. is also an intriguing young player who recently played a major role in the Florida Gators' run to the national title.
While it remains to be seen what will happen now with Ja Morant, the Grizzlies have done a great job of picking out a clear direction and giving themselves future flexibility.
Grade: A
Jazz's trade grade
The struggling Jazz meet the surging Clippers with Lauri Markkanen nearing a return and Keyonte George resting in the latest injury update.
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
It's hard to know exactly what Danny Ainge was thinking when he made this trade with the Grizzlies.
Jackson Jr. will certainly help the Jazz a lot in the short term, especially on the defensive end of the floor, where he is regarded as one of the best in the NBA. The tandem of him and Lauri Markkanen figures to go along well with the current trend of positionless basketball, and the Jazz didn't have to part with any significant pieces from their current team in the process.
Still, first-round picks are an extremely valuable commodity in the NBA, and to part ways with three of them for a player in Jackson Jr., who is likely not going to get much better than he is now is quite baffling. Of course, it helps that the picks aren't their own, and the team is hoping that they can turn into a formidable team in the wake of this trade, but they do have the unfortunate designation of playing in the highly competitive Western Conference.
Overall, this trade could end up backfiring significantly for Utah if things don't go according to plan.
Grade: C