Grizzlies Acquire Eric Gordon From Sixers, Waive Georges Niang
6:08 pm: The trade is official, the Grizzlies confirmed in a press release (Twitter link). As expected, Niang has been released.
1:20 pm: The Sixers will trade veteran guard Eric Gordon and a second-round pick swap in 2032 to the Grizzlies, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Philadelphia will receive the draft rights to Justinian Jessup in return, according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). Jessup, a 27-year-old guard who was selected in the second round in 2020, is currently playing for Bayern Munich in Germany.
Memphis has a full roster and plans to waive Georges Niang so the trade can be completed, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Twitter link). Niang, who was acquired from Utah on Tuesday, has an $8.2MM expiring contract.
Finding a taker for Gordon opens more room below the tax line (and another roster spot) for the Sixers to convert two-way forward Dominick Barlow to a standard deal. Barlow has been outstanding in his fourth NBA season, starting 33 of the 40 games he’s played and averaging career highs with 8.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 24 minutes per night.
Barlow still has 10 games left before he reaches his limit for the season, so it’s not necessarily an immediate concern, but the Sixers need to have him on a standard contract to make him eligible for the playoffs. The team also seems likely to promote two-way player Jabari Walker, who reached his 50-game limit this week.
Gordon, 37, has only appeared in six games this season and was functioning as a virtual assistant coach in Philadelphia. His $3.6MM expiring contract only carries a $2.3MM cap hit, and he appears to be a strong candidate to be waived in Memphis once the deal is finalized.
Warriors Notes: JJJ, Kuminga, Giannis, Butler, Green
The Warriors made two trades prior to Thursday’s deadline, sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta for Kristaps Porzingis, then dealing Trayce Jackson-Davis to Toronto for the Lakers’ 2026 second-round pick. Porzingis and Giannis Antetokounmpo weren’t the only noteworthy big men Golden State had been eyeing, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN (Twitter video link).
“A couple weeks ago, the Warriors had some pretty extensive conversations with the Memphis Grizzlies about Jaren Jackson Jr.,” Shelburne said on NBA Today. “ … I think the Warriors were talking about (trading) two first-round picks (for Jackson)…but then Giannis was maybe available and so they tabled those conversations because they needed those picks in the Giannis trade, and then Utah came in with three-first round picks (for Jackson).”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Golden State selected Kuminga seventh overall in the 2021 draft. In a statement to ESPN’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link), head coach Steve Kerr discussed the challenges Kuminga faced during his four-and-a-half years with the team. “It was a tough situation for everybody, given how raw he was when he got here and given we were still playing for championships,” Kerr said. “He needed the runway to make more mistakes. He needed the experience of being in the NBA and understanding what it was about. For him, it was very tough not being allowed to make those mistakes. For us as a staff, it was tricky trying to develop him while we were trying to win. I think it’s as simple as that. Everybody liked him. I liked him. He’s a really good guy. Very personable. Well-liked in the locker room. Just a tough fit.”
- The Warriors were relieved to move on from the drama created by Kuminga’s tenure, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. They’re also “somewhat optimistic” they’ll be able to revisit Giannis trade talks with the Bucks in the summer, according to Friedell.
- Jimmy Butler will undergo surgery to repair the torn ACL in his right knee on February 9, the team announced today (Twitter link via Friedell). The six-time All-Star forward suffered the injury on Jan. 19.
- Veteran forward/center Draymond Green will remain with the Warriors past the deadline, Slater confirms. The team thinks Porzingis — assuming he’s healthy — will be a good fit alongside Green in the frontcourt, Slater writes. Green was part of Golden State’s offer for Antetokounmpo, but there was never any momentum on a deal, Slater adds.
No Trades Involving Morant, Kawhi, Sabonis, Zion, More
The Bucks informed rival teams a few hours ahead of Thursday’s deadline that they wouldn’t be trading superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and several other noteworthy players will remain with their respective teams after the deadline passed at 2:00 pm CT.
Point guard Ja Morant was available on the trade market for at least four weeks, but even after lowering their asking price, the Grizzlies were unable to find a taker for the two-time All-Star, confirms Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (via Twitter). According to Siegel, Memphis will revisit trade talks for Morant in the offseason.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), while a few teams were “intrigued” by the 26-year-old’s talent, none were willing to make a “serious offer.” The Kings, Bucks, Heat and Timberwolves were all linked to Morant in recent days, though there’s no indication that talks ever reached an advanced stage.
As Siegel writes, the Grizzlies were looking for a first-round pick for the two-time All-Star, but no teams were willing to meet that asking price. Miami, for instance, was only willing to give up expiring contracts and second-round picks for Morant, sources tell Siegel.
Morant’s injury history and maximum-salary contract limited his appeal on the trade market, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. The former No. 2 overall pick is on a guaranteed deal that runs through 2027/28.
“You’re committing to several years, and if it doesn’t work, you’re probably carrying that contract until it’s an expiring at least,” one league source told Afseth. “Most teams would want to be compensated just to take that deal on, whether they believe in Morant or not.”
The Clippers made a pair of major trades, swapping James Harden for Darius Garland and sending Ivica Zubac to Indiana for two first-round picks, one second-rounder, Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson. All-Star Kawhi Leonard won’t be going anywhere though, tweets NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Two-time All-NBA big man Domantas Sabonis, who was repeatedly linked to Toronto until Sacramento’s talks with the Raptors “flat-lined,” will stay put with the Kings, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The Kings were also unable to find suitable deals for Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk, per Haynes (Twitter link).
Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers), Lauri Markkanen (Jazz), LaMelo Ball (Hornets), and Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones of the Pelicans are among the other noteworthy players whose names came up in trade speculation this season who will remain with their respective clubs.
Of course, we saw a flurry of trades that did transpire in the lead-up to the deadline. The full list can be found here.
Western Notes: Garland, Porzingis, Watson, Pippen Jr.
Darius Garland wasn’t particularly surprised that the Cavaliers traded him to the Clippers. The 26-year-old guard was dealt, along with a second-round pick, for James Harden.
“I knew about it. It wasn’t a shock, though,” Garland said, per Doug Padilla of The Associated Press. “It’s the business of basketball. Cleveland was great to me and my family, and I have respect for all of those guys over there. … Seven years was a really long time, and it was great. I’m glad I’m here now. The next chapter in my book.”
Garland will now try to develop chemistry with Kawhi Leonard. He’s eager to see how coach Tyronn Lue plans to utilize him.
“I hope T-Lue uses me like he did Kyrie (Irving) in that championship run they had (in Cleveland),” he said. “But whatever T-Lue wants me to be, whatever position he wants me to be in, I’m going to do that. I’m here to win games.”
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- The Warriors didn’t acquire Kristaps Porzingis from the Hawks in an impending trade without some assurances that the big man will return to the court soon, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Shams Charania. Porzingis hasn’t played since Jan. 7, but the ESPN duo hears that the Warriors anticipate Porzingis will get back in action soon after joining Golden State. Porzingis has played only 17 games this season due to illness and left Achilles tendinitis.
- The injury-riddled Nuggets now have another ailment to overcome. Peyton Watson, who is enjoying a breakout season, injured his hamstring during the fourth quarter of their double overtime loss to New York on Wednesday, Tim Bontemps of ESPN reports. “Waiting to see the MRI,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “But just seeing so much of this this year. I just feel bad for the guys in the locker room. It’s deflating when you keep seeing people go down around you when you’re trying to build towards something.” Nikola Jokic and Christian Braun recently returned after missing chunks of time, while Aaron Gordon is currently dealing with a significant hamstring strain and Cameron Johnson has been out since before Christmas with a knee injury.
- Scotty Pippen Jr. is close to making his season debut for the Grizzlies. Pippen, who underwent toe surgery in October, is in the final stages of his rehab, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets. Coach Tuomas Iisalo is optimistic Pippen could return as early as this week. Pippen averaged 9.9 points and 4.4 assists in 79 games last season.
Trade Rumors: Giannis, Morant, Alvarado, Knicks, Raptors
While Thursday is usually the busiest day of the NBA’s trade deadline week, Tuesday and Wednesday have been more active than usual this season, observes Fred Katz of The Athletic.
There are a number of reasons why that may be the case, but one front office executive who spoke to Katz believes teams are reacting to what happened at last year’s deadline, when physical exams affected two trade agreements. The Sixers and Mavericks slightly reworked the terms of their Caleb Martin/Quentin Grimes deal due to concerns about Martin’s physical, while the Lakers and Hornets rescinded their Mark Williams trade as a result of Williams’ physical.
The Philadelphia/Dallas deal was agreed to and finalized on the Tuesday before the deadline, which allowed the two teams to conduct physical and then amend the terms on Thursday. However, because Los Angeles and Charlotte finalized their deal on Thursday, the issues with Williams’ physical didn’t arise until after the deadline, when negotiations couldn’t be reopened. At that point, the Lakers had just two options: approve the deal anyway or nix it altogether.
Several teams making deals at this year’s deadline may have those situations in the backs of their mind, Katz explains, prompting them to get their business done a little earlier in the week.
Here are more trade rumors from around the NBA, with the deadline just over five hours away:
- The Timberwolves and Heat don’t believe they’re out of the running for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but like Golden State, they remain skeptical that the Bucks are ready to get a deal done today, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Fischer, who previously identified Milwaukee as a team to watch on the Ja Morant front, also continues to hear that the Bucks remain engaged with the Grizzlies about the star point guard.
- Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado remains on the Knicks‘ radar, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). While New York reportedly didn’t have much luck selling New Orleans on a deal that included Guerschon Yabusele, the team may have more success with Dalen Terry‘s expiring contract after agreeing to send Yabusele to Chicago. The Knicks have also expressed interest in Yves Missi, but the Pelicans have reportedly insisted on a first-round pick for him to this point. New York’s only tradable first-rounder is Washington’s top-eight protected 2026 pick, which will likely turn into second-rounders.
- It’s been a busy week for the Bulls, who have finalized three trades and agreed to two more, but they may not be done dealing yet. According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls’ front office was still talking to teams as of Wednesday night, with a “focus” on the Pelicans and Rockets. Chicago has been linked to Zion Williamson and Missi from New Orleans and Tari Eason from Houston, Cowley notes. However, he says the Bulls haven’t made real progress on the Pelicans’ players, and reports have indicated the Rockets are very resistant to moving Eason.
- After agreeing to two minor deals on Wednesday to duck the luxury tax and add Trayce Jackson-Davis, the Raptors are unlikely to make a major move ahead of Thursday’s deadline, Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter video link) and TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (Twitter video link) said during TV appearances. Toronto has been linked to several notable big men, but some (Anthony Davis and Jaren Jackson Jr.) have been traded to other teams, while Domantas Sabonis appears likely to remain in Sacramento.
Western Notes: K. Murray, Reaves, J. Jackson, Jazz
It sounds as if the Kings are aiming to get forward Keegan Murray on the court shortly after the All-Star break, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat. Murray, who has been out since January 4 due to a moderate left ankle sprain, was ruled out for two more weeks on Tuesday, per a press release from the team.
After the All-Star break, Sacramento’s first game will be at home vs. Orlando on Thursday, February 19. That contest appears to be Murray’s earliest potential return date, though it’s also possible he’ll require more recovery time after he’s reevaluated earlier that week.
We have more from around the Western Conference:
- Lakers guard Austin Reaves played on Tuesday for the first time since December 25. He shot just 3-of-9 from the floor in 21 minutes off the bench following a 19-game absence due to a calf strain, but scored 15 points and a +10 as the Lakers cruised to a comfortable win in Brooklyn. “I thought he moved great and looked like Austin,” head coach JJ Redick said after the game, per Dan Woike of The Athletic, adding that Reaves is in line for a “pretty significant raise” as a potential free agent this summer.
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic contends that the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade between the Jazz and Grizzlies looks like a potential win-win deal for the two teams, while Tony Jones of The Athletic observes that it signals the end of the tank in Utah — or at least the beginning of the end of the tank, since the Jazz will still be motivated to hang onto their top-eight protected 2026 first-round pick.
- Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscription required) explores what Jackson will bring to the Jazz, writing that the former Defensive Player of the Year will give the team the sort of defensive play-maker it badly needed. Utah ranks dead last in the NBA in defensive rating for a third straight season in 2025/26. Larsen also advises not to overlook the other players the Jazz acquired in the deal, including fourth-year wing Vince Williams Jr., who may immediately become the club’s best perimeter defender.
- While Jazz players will miss their four teammates that headed to Memphis in the trade with the Grizzlies, they expressed plenty of enthusiasm about Jackson’s potential impact in Utah, Larsen writes in a separate story for the Salt Lake Tribune. “I think obviously the exciting part is Walker (Kessler) and Jaren, you know. That frontcourt is crazy,” guard Keyonte George said. “And then with Lauri (Markkanen) and just the versatility — I know Will (Hardy) is a phenomenal coach, so I just already know the crazy things that he’s gonna do with them. Walker can be a great presence, but now he also knows that he got somebody behind him. It’s rare that you can know somebody has got your back when you’re the person that’s got everybody back.”
Trade Rumors: Morant, Thomas, Gafford, Hawks, Raptors
While Sacramento has been one of the teams linked to Ja Morant, the Grizzlies guard and his camp don’t have interest in a trade to the Kings, according to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that Morant’s other rumored suitors – the Heat and Timberwolves – would rank much higher on his wish list.
The Kings essentially reciprocate Morant’s tepid interest, says Sam Amick of The Athletic. As Amick explains, Sacramento hasn’t ruled out the possibility of acquiring Morant, but would want Memphis to add draft capital as an incentive to take on his maximum-salary contract, which runs through 2027/28. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, are looking to acquire a draft pick or two in a Morant deal, even if it means taking on some unwanted salary.
The Kings also have potential fit and chemistry concerns about Morant, Amick adds, noting that a deal between the two teams appears unlikely.
While that could just leave Miami and Minnesota in the running for Morant, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link) says he’s been advised not to rule out the Bucks. All three of those teams may need resolution on the Giannis Antetokounmpo situation before they can realistically make a play for the Grizzlies guard.
We have more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Nets guard Cam Thomas wasn’t with the team for its flight to Orlando today and is listed as out for Thursday’s game due to personal reasons, tweets Fischer. Thomas holds a de facto no-trade clause after signing his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent in 2025, but has long been considered a trade candidate and is drawing interest from the Cavaliers and Bucks, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
- The Hawks have maintained interest in Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter links), who reports that Dallas has been seeking a first-round pick for Gafford and Atlanta has only been willing to give up second-round capital. Stein’s report came in just before word broke that the Hawks had agreed to acquire Jock Landale from Utah — adding a minimum-salary big man on an expiring deal wouldn’t preclude a trade for Gafford, who is under contract for three more seasons after this one, but it may reduce Atlanta’s need for immediate help in its frontcourt.
- The Raptors were engaged in trade talks with the Mavericks about Anthony Davis before Dallas agreed to send him to Washington, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who says Toronto also spoke to the Grizzlies about Jaren Jackson Jr. prior to the trade that sent the big man to Utah. The Raptors, who are on the lookout for a frontcourt upgrade, have also discussed Domantas Sabonis but reportedly reached an impasse in their negotiations with Sacramento.
Domantas Sabonis Likely To Remain With Kings Through Deadline
1:42 pm: The Kings view their Sabonis talks with Toronto as having “flat-lined,” according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. With the caveat that there’s still 24 hours for the situation to evolve, Amick says it now appears highly likely that the big man will remain in Sacramento through the trade deadline.
10:53 am: Talks between the Raptors and Kings have paused for now, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter video link), who says Toronto has concerns about how much draft capital it would have to give up to move off of Poeltl’s contract.
10:02 am: The Raptors are known to have interest in Kings center Domantas Sabonis, but it’s been hard to get a feel for just how serious the talks between the two teams are, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who gets the sense that some of the Sabonis trade chatter has been driven by the three-time All-Star’s representatives, who would like to get their client off a rebuilding roster.
While Grange was still hearing from people close to the Kings on Tuesday that Sacramento would be open to making a trade centered around Sabonis and Raptors forward RJ Barrett, he writes that the connection between Barrett and Kings general manager Scott Perry – who drafted the forward as a member of the Knicks’ front office – has been “overblown.”
There also appear to be at least two obstacles in the way of a trade sending Sabonis to Toronto.
One, Chris Haynes said during an NBA TV appearance (Twitter video link), is a gap between the draft compensation the Kings are seeking as part of the return (a first-round pick) and what the Raptors are willing to offer in their package (second-rounders).
The other complication is that the Raptors would likely want to send out center Jakob Poeltl if they’re going to acquire a starting center who has an even more lucrative long-term contract, but Poeltl’s value is extremely limited due to the $100MM+ left on his deal, as well as his health — he has been dealing with back issues all season long.
The Kings reportedly have zero interest in acquiring Poeltl in a Sabonis deal, so the Raptors would have to find a third team willing to take him on and send that team sweeteners (likely draft assets) separate from what Sacramento would want for Sabonis.
“He’s a really hard guy to trade right now,” one source told Grange. “He’s hurt and he’s locked in for five years.”
According to Grange, the Celtics have been fans of Poeltl in the past, and the Pacers – who are searching for a long-term answer at center – are another team he has heard connected to Poeltl.
However, Boston just made a move for another center, agreeing to send Anfernee Simons to Chicago in a deal for Nikola Vucevic, and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) hears that Indiana hasn’t registered any interest in Poeltl.
The Grizzlies, with their newfound cap flexibility as a result of Tuesday’s Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, are considered one possible landing spot for Poeltl, but they’d likely need to be well compensated to take on his contract, especially given his current health situation.
“There’s nothing structural,” a source said of Poeltl’s back injury, per Grange. “There’s no nerve issue, it’s just a confusing injury.”
Sam Amick of The Athletic suggested earlier this week that it wouldn’t be a surprise if nothing happens with Sabonis this week and the Raptors and Kings renew their conversations in the offseason. Grange also thinks the Sabonis rumors “could all add up to nothing,” writing that Toronto may be better off hoping Poeltl gets healthy and can rebuild his value, either as a trade chip or the Raptors’ center of the future.
Grizzlies Reportedly Lower Asking Price For Ja Morant
After trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah on Tuesday, the Grizzlies have lowered their asking price for point guard Ja Morant “dramatically,” rival teams tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports first reported that rivals were anticipating a reduction in Memphis’ price tag on Morant, which could pave the way for the two-time All-Star to change teams this week.
Iko describes the market for Morant as “diminished,” while Chris Mannix of SI.com agrees that interest has been limited, citing “availability, attitude and diminished production” as areas of concern for potential Morant suitors. However, Iko notes that some of those would-be suitors may return to the table after balking at Memphis’ previous demands.
The Grizzlies have increasingly recognized that a Morant trade won’t net them the same sort of hauls that they got for Jackson and Desmond Bane, Iko writes, and teams like the Timberwolves and Heat will have more interest in the guard as a buy-low target than they would’ve at Memphis’ initial price point.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints hears that the Grizzlies want to acquire some sort of draft compensation for Morant and may be inclined to accept the first offer that features a first-round pick, though that would presumably hinge on how much salary they’re being asked to take on. Sources tell Fischer that Memphis has conveyed a willingness to take on long-term contracts if they’re attached to worthwhile draft compensation.
Here’s more on Morant:
- While the Kings have been frequently linked to Morant, sources tell Fischer that their interest continues to be “minimal,” and James Ham of The Kings Beat hears similar rumblings, writing that Sacramento isn’t actively pursuing Morant and hasn’t spoken to the Grizzlies for two or three days. That doesn’t mean Sacramento is entirely out of the picture — Siegel cites league sources who believe the Kings would consider a Morant deal if it means moving off some of their own multiyear contracts, including perhaps those of Malik Monk and/or DeMar DeRozan. Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) also hears that Sacramento remains involved for Morant.
- Both the Timberwolves and Heat remain in the hunt for Giannis Antetokounmpo, so until there’s resolution on that front, they’ll presumably keep any potential Giannis-related trade assets off the table in talks with the Grizzlies. Miami has hoped to be able to land Morant for a Trae Young-esque return, Siegel explains. The Miami Herald has frequently mentioned Terry Rozier‘s and Simone Fontecchio‘s expiring contracts as a possible package for Morant, which would be an even lighter package than what Atlanta got for Young, but would create significant cap flexibility going forward for Memphis.
- There’s a “growing thought” that the Heat would be willing to sign Morant to the kind of contract extension he’ll be seeking beyond his current deal, sources tell Iko. Morant is under contract for two years and $87MM after this season.
- In addition to gauging the market for Morant, the Grizzlies have interest in potentially facilitating an Antetokounmpo trade and are closely monitoring that situation, according to Iko, who says Memphis explored the possibility of reacquiring Mike Conley from the Timberwolves before he was dealt to Chicago.
Grizzlies Trade Jaren Jackson Jr. To Jazz
6:06pm: The trade is official, according to a press release from the Jazz.
12:44pm: The Grizzlies and Jazz have agreed to a blockbuster trade, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), who reports that former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. is heading to Utah along with wings John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr. and center Jock Landale.
In exchange, Memphis will acquire guard Walter Clayton, swingman Kyle Anderson, forwards Taylor Hendricks and Georges Niang, and three future first-round picks, sources tell Charania.
Those three first-rounders headed to the Grizzlies are the Lakers’ 2027 pick (top-four protected), either the Cavaliers’, Timberwolves’, or Jazz’s own 2027 pick (whichever is most favorable), and the Suns’ 2031 pick (unprotected), reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
It’s a shocking move for a couple reasons. For one, multiple reports ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline suggested that Memphis had no interest in moving Jackson and hoped to hang onto – and build around – the big man going forward.
Additionally, while there were multiple teams said to be inquiring on Jackson’s availability in the hopes that the Grizzlies changed their mind, there was no indication that the Jazz were among them or that they’d be looking to use their stash of future draft picks to make this sort of move this week. Entering Tuesday’s games, Utah holds a 15-35 record, which is the sixth-worst mark in the NBA.
However, the move for Jackson suggests first-year president of basketball operations Austin Ainge and the Jazz are preparing to take a step forward next season. League sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the team doesn’t plan to trade forward Lauri Markkanen and still wants to re-sign center Walker Kessler in restricted free agency this summer. Utah envisions a frontcourt made up of Markkanen, Jackson, and Kessler, Jones explains.
Third-year guard Keyonte George and 2025 lottery pick Ace Bailey are among the other long-term building blocks in Utah, where the Jazz still control at least one first-round pick in every future draft, starting in 2026. Notably, that 2026 first-rounder will be sent to Oklahoma City if it lands outside the top eight — the Jazz are still in a fairly strong position to hang onto it, since there’s a 4.5-game gap between them and the NBA’s seventh- and eighth-worst teams (the 18-29 Bucks and 19-30 Mavericks).
As for the Grizzlies, we’d heard for weeks that they were open to trading two-time All-Star Ja Morant, but it wasn’t clear whether they intended to retool around Jackson or fully rebuild around a younger core headlined by Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells. Now we have our answer.
While Clayton and Hendricks are just 22 years old and could carve out places in the Grizzlies’ long-term plans, the return for Jackson is primarily about adding three more first-round picks to an ever-growing collection of draft assets and creating additional cap flexibility in the present and future. The Grizzlies now control 12 first-rounders in the next seven drafts, notes Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Twitter link).
Jackson renegotiated and extended his contract with Memphis last offseason and will earn $205MM over the next four years after this one. He’s the only player of the eight involved in this trade who is owed guaranteed money beyond next season, and taking on his long-term deal will likely eliminate Utah’s cap room this summer.
In terms of 2025/26 money, Utah will be taking advantage of its significant breathing room below the luxury tax line by increasing its payroll by more than $18MM — the Jazz are sending out a combined $27.5MM in salary and taking back roughly $45.8MM.
As Gozlan tweets, the Jazz will use their four outgoing players to legally match Jackson’s $35MM cap hit, then take the other three incoming players into existing traded player exceptions (or a portion of their mid-level, if they prefer to preserve their bigger TPE).
Memphis, meanwhile, will create a record-setting trade exception worth nearly $28.9MM, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).