After selecting Jaren Jackson Jr. 4th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies are sending him to the Utah Jazz. This past summer he signed a five-year, $240 million extension but is now on the move. While most of the focus has been on a potential Ja Morant trade, the timing of the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade news comes as a surprise to some.
It is no secret that the Grizzlies have been snakebitten by injuries this season. The Grizzlies had also won just one playoff series with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. on the roster together. It was a matter of time before they faced a choice on whether to continue with their core or to rebuild. While the fanbase will be conflicted on this trade, the Grizzlies have fully committed to rebuilding.
The Grizzlies are going to have a war chest of draft picks
Alongside Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies will also be sending John Konchar, Jock Landale, and Vince Williams Jr. to the Jazz in exchange for Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang, and three first-round picks. With the Grizzlies deciding to pivot from their current core, they will have significant draft capital to work with.
CRAZY — The Memphis Grizzlies now have 13 1st-Round Picks over the next 7 years, h/t @BobbyMarks42.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 3, 2026
The rebuild starts now. 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/qLWIHWemdF
Between the Desmond Bane trade last summer and now Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies were able to significantly increase their future draft capital. With 13 first-round picks in the next 7 years, the Grizzlies have significant flexibility for future drafts and swings at other stars around the league. While the Grizzlies at full strength are a good team on paper, the team felt it was best to go in a different direction.
Was this the right move?
This is a move that will certainly end up being controversial in Memphis. Given that Jackson Jr. is a multiple-time All-Star and a previous Defensive Player of the Year award winner, the Grizzlies are moving on from a very talented two-way player in his prime years.
The Utah Jazz will be getting an elite defender while still having 20-point scoring upside. Another factor to consider is that Jackson Jr. has been consistently healthy despite the Grizzlies struggling with injuries for multiple years in a row. Jackson Jr. has a unique skill set that was inevitably going to draw significant trade interest throughout the league.
On the flip side, with the Western Conference continuing to get even stronger, the Grizzlies, even at full strength, were likely to fall short of an NBA Finals appearance in the near future. Given the lack of success since their 2022 playoff series win, the Grizzlies likely needed multiple changes to win a championship. It can also be argued that the Grizzlies did not fully optimize Jackson Jr. and that he did not evolve enough as a player to be a top-two championship option.
The Grizzlies are headed towards a significant rebuild
The Grizzlies are currently 19-29 and have been injury-ridden; however, the timing of this trade signals that the team is ready to rebuild. While the Grizzlies are losing one of their best players in franchise history in Jaren Jackson Jr., they have created significant flexibility for the future. The next step of the Grizzlies' rebuild will likely be a Ja Morant trade, whether it's before this deadline or over the summer.