The Memphis Grizzlies have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA this year, currently sitting at 11-13 as the season passes its quarter way mark. Ja Morant has been in and out of the lineup due to injury (and other things), and overall, it seems that the current era of Memphis basketball that started with Morant's drafting in 2019 is on its last legs.
With this being the case, it should come as no surprise that many are floating potential trade ideas for the Grizzlies, including involving big man Jaren Jackson Jr. Recently, Bill Simmons of The Ringer proposed a wild trade idea with the Atlanta Hawks that would almost certainly be shot down immediately, but would sure work in the Grizzlies' favor.
“If I could flip Porzingis’ expiring and that New Orleans pick, and maybe one other pick for Jaren Jackson. And put him in the defense, his ceiling on defense with some of the other guys I have,” said Simmons. “That’s pretty interesting. And then if I’m Memphis and I’m not going anywhere anyway, and I have a chance to get a top five pick and kind of move away from this model that doesn’t work anymore anyway, I’m thinking about it.”
It should be noted that there is almost zero chance that the Hawks would even consider this offer, given that the Pelicans pick they own is widely regarded as one of the most valuable assets in the entire NBA landscape.
While Jackson is a nice player, it's highly doubtful that there is a single general manager in the league who would view him as being more valuable than a potential top three pick in what is expected to be a 2026 NBA Draft loaded with star talent.
Still, at this point, it's nice for Grizzlies fans to dream.
