The Memphis Grizzlies are trading former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz in a significant trade that will involve three future first-round picks heading back to Memphis, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.
The picks Memphis is receiving are a 2027 first-rounder (the most favorable between Cleveland, Minnesota and Utah), the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2027 first-rounder (top-four protected) and the Phoenix Suns’ 2031 first-rounder (unprotected), according to the source.
Memphis will receive Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks and Georges Niang in addition to the draft picks. Utah will receive John Konchar, Jock Landale and Vince Williams Jr. in the trade.
Jackson’s departure from Memphis marks a clear shift toward a rebuild for the Grizzlies following a deal last summer that sent shooting guard Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic. The team still could trade point guard Ja Morant before Thursday’s deadline.
Jackson, 26, has been a foundational piece for a Grizzlies team that won 48 games or more in three of the last four seasons. Memphis reaffirmed Jackson’s importance when it renegotiated his contract last summer, agreeing to a five-year, $240 million maximum extension. Meanwhile, the team declined to sign an extension with Morant and traded Bane in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one pick swap.
While Morant was often viewed as the biggest star and the face of the franchise in Memphis for years, Jackson was seen as the Grizzlies’ most reliable and consistent player during some of their best seasons. In his eight seasons with the Grizzlies, Jackson averaged 18.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 35.1 percent on 3-pointers.
But turmoil within the franchise on and off the court has led to general manager Zach Kleiman moving in a different direction.
After the Grizzlies selected Jackson with the No. 4 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, he quickly became one of the most gifted two-way forwards in the league. However, it was his defensive presence that made him one of the more valuable players in the NBA. Jackson was named Defensive Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season and was named to one of the two All-Defensive teams in three of the last four seasons.
Since 2018, Jackson and Anthony Davis are the only players to exceed 800 blocks and 400 steals in a season. Jackson is also the only player in NBA history to have more than 100 blocks and more than 100 3-pointers in four consecutive seasons.
Jackson’s offensive repertoire has expanded over the past few seasons, as he’s combined his outside shooting touch with a strong off-the-dribble game, allowing him to generate more shots around the basket. Although his numbers have dipped this season, he averaged at least 22 points in each of the previous two campaigns. This year, he is averaging 19.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in 45 contests.
This story will be updated
