The biggest blockbuster deal of NBA trade season so far materialized out of thin air on Tuesday afternoon. Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Memphis Grizzlies are sending former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz for a package centered around picks and prospects.
While trade rumors have circulated around the Grizzlies and their desire to move on from star guard Ja Morant due to his massive contract and concerns about his injury history, this move seemingly comes out of left field. There hadn’t been much talk suggesting Jackson Jr. may be traded, though the writing for a full-on rebuild would have been on the wall with any Morant deal. Now, Memphis begins to tear its roster down and acquire assets while Utah adds a star to its lineup.
So, what’s the grade for each side of this deal, and do the Grizzlies or the Jazz come out on top as clear winners?
Jaren Jackson Jr. trade grades
Again, this trade makes for a bit of a stunner since there hadn’t been much chatter that Jackson Jr. was on the block. However, it appears that every player has a price tag and the three-time All-Defense honoree now finds a new home. Per Charania, the Grizzlies are sending Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Jock Landale and Vince Williams Jr. to Utah. In exchange, the Jazz are shipping Walter Clayton Jr., Taylor Hendricks, Kyle Anderson and Georges Niang to Memphis along with three future first-round picks.
Memphis Grizzlies
The decision to trade one of its stars away certainly didn’t come easily for the Grizzlies. At 19-29, the franchise is in the midst of a very disappointing season after winning 48 games and making the playoffs last year. Unsurprisingly, injuries have plagued this rotation and sidelined Morant for a significant chunk of the campaign, but even when healthy the guard hasn’t played up to his usual standards with his lowest scoring average since his second NBA season while shooting a career-worst 41.0% from the field. Other injuries to young center Zach Edey and offseason acquisition Ty Jerome (who just made his season debut two games ago) have made life increasingly difficult for the team to remain afloat.
After trading away one of Morant’s former co-stars in Desmond Bane over the offseason — who fetched four first-round picks from the Orlando Magic — it’s not surprising to see Memphis beginning to embrace a full-on rebuild. It’s difficult to deny that the roster had capped out at its ceiling with just one appearance past the first round of the playoffs during the Morant/Jackson Jr./Bane era. As such, this is likely the best move for the health of the franchise in the long term.
The Grizzlies do lose one of the NBA’s premier defensive talents and a scorer who hovers around 20 PPG in Jackson Jr., but they received excellent value in return. Per NBA insider Jake Fischer, the picks headed Memphis’ way are the most favorable of Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah in 2027, the Lakers’ 2027 first, and Phoenix’s 2031 first-rounder. Assuming the Jazz don’t take a significant leap to the top of the league, one of the 2027 selections could potentially be a borderline lottery pick, and even the Lakers’ pick could prove fruitful in what projects as a fairly deep draft class. The Suns’ 2031 first may not be used for several years, but that could also be a very valuable asset given that team’s lack of a future war chest to reload.
It always hurts to trade away a star, but the Grizzlies gave up relatively little outside of Jackson Jr. In return, they now hold 13 first-round picks over the next seven years. With a rebuild looming, this is a nice return and sets them up nicely for the long haul.
Grade: A-
Utah Jazz
Now for the more fun part of this equation. People seem shocked to see the Jazz on the buying end of this deal, and rightfully so — they’re currently 13th in the Western Conference at 15-35, eight games back of even a berth to the Play-In Tournament’s No. 10 seed. Cue the Brian Windhorst hands! As the analyst said in the now-iconic GIF, “What is going on in Utah?”
First thing first, the Jazz add a defensive stud to the NBA’s worst defense in terms of raw PPG allowed. The loss of young center Walker Kessler to a season-ending injury marked a significant loss on the defensive side of things in the frontcourt, so Jackson Jr. provides a rangy big man who can both patrol the paint and switch on the perimeter. He should help anchor things on that side of the ball and will absolutely provide a much-needed boost to the unit. Beyond these implications as a former DPOY winner and consistent honoree for All-Defensive Teams, Jackson Jr. also brings a third star to the starting lineup. Lauri Markkanen is hooping at an All-NBA level and Keyonte George has become a foundational piece of this roster moving forward, but adding an additional 19.2 PPG and third option on offense certainly doesn’t hurt what was already an ascending group on that side of the floor.
However, the Jazz are not a very good team at the moment for all intents and purposes. Over the last three-and-a-half seasons since blowing up the Donovan Mitchell/Rudy Gobert core, they’ve won just 37, 31 and 15 games with a 15-35 record so far this year. Does it make sense for them to make any kind of win-now move like this?
One can argue that it does. Utah did give up three first-round picks, but neither of the 2027 picks appear very likely to land in the high lottery, especially now that the outlook improves for the Jazz next season. The 2031 selection is far in the future, and while Walker Clayton Jr. and Taylor Hendricks could have upside in the long-term picture, the odds aren’t great that either end up in the same caliber as Jackson Jr.
The Jazz remain unlikely to sneak into the Play-In Tournament, but this move does set them up nicely for next season and beyond. Their three core stars are all 28 or younger and the team maintains a handful of other picks along with its own in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft. Assuming there’s cap space available this offseason, Utah could make moves to finally make the postseason as soon as next year.
Sometimes, it’s best to swing for a star now, especially in situations like this one with a 26-year-old talent such as Jackson Jr. The trade gets a B- for now and could age quite well moving forward.
Grade: B-
