The Memphis Grizzlies Trade Nobody Would See Coming
The Memphis Grizzlies are ready and willing to talk Ja Morant trades.
When potential poachers come calling, though, that won't be their preferred conversation of choice. Because while Morant's trade value is among the murkiest you'll find anywhere near the NBA's star ranks, the one held by teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. is through the roof.
To be clear, all signs point toward the team preferring to rebuild around Jackson, but folks are wondering if he's equally interested in the idea. With Morant on the bubble, and Desmond Bane having already bounced out of Beale Street, it's only natural to think—or at least hope—Jackson might be next.
His list of potential suitors may be too numerous to mention, but you better believe the Boston Celtics would be on it. They're already working the big man market, and the dream outcome of this search would yield a shot-blocking, floor-spacing unicorn.
With Jayson Tatum furiously working his way back from an Achilles tear, and Jaylen Brown doing a masterful job of keeping things afloat without him, Boston has real incentive to consider ditching its cost-cutting strategy in favor of finding a full-fledged difference-maker.
So, let's dissect how the Celtics could pull off a shocking swap that could shake up the entire championship race.
Full Trade Scenario
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Boston Celtics receive: Jaren Jackson Jr. and John Konchar
Memphis Grizzlies receive: Anfernee Simons, Sam Hauser, Hugo González, Jordan Walsh, 2027 first-round pick, 2031 first-round pick and 2032 first-round pick swap
Why the Boston Celtics Do It
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With Brown elbowing his way into the MVP race, and Tatum being right in the running for much of the last half-decade, the Celtics could have the most critical pieces to form a championship puzzle (assuming the latter gets back to full strength).
To really reclaim elite status, though, they have to address a power rotation that subtracted all three of Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet last summer.
Of all the remotely realistic options, Jackson would be Boston's dream get: more reliable than Anthony Davis, rangier on both ends than Domantas Sabonis, more versatile than Nikola Vučević, more dynamic than Daniel Gafford.
Jackson isn't quite a transcendent talent (which might be why Memphis ultimately moves him), but he'd be a game-changing third option. He's a good enough shooter to handle the three-point volume increase Celtics skipper Joe Mazzulla would demand and a strong enough finisher to thrive in two-man actions with any of Boston's on-ball creators.
Jackson's defensive versatility might also be close to a one-stop fix for Boston's middle-of-the-pack defense. He can handle anything from perimeter switches to paint protection, meaning he would be a fit regardless if the Celtics wanted to be big and burly with 7-footer Neemias Queta manning the middle or smaller and switchier with Jackson and the Jays filling the frontcourt.
Speaking of the Celtics stars, it's also worth mentioning that the 26-year-old Jackson would be perfect for their timeline, too. Brown is 29, Tatum is 27. Assuming there are no long-term aftereffects for the latter, Boston's window to win big might span the next half-decade (at least).
That, more than anything, is all the rationale the Celtics should need to blow their budget. This deal would be costly—John Konchar would be salary-filler; Hugo González and Jordan Walsh might become a whole lot more—but rewards don't get much richer than perennial championship contention.
Why the Memphis Grizzlies Do It
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The Grizzlies, for now, aren't treating a Morant trade as a complete roster reset. According to The Athletic's John Hollinger, who previously worked in Memphis' front office, "Jackson remains a core piece" for this club.
How good can the Jackson-led Grizzlies be in the fully loaded West, though? They clearly can't contend any time soon—folks expecting a rich return for Morant are about to be hugely disappointed—and they don't even have an obvious path to eventually get there.
They have found some young talent, sure, but they don't have blue-chip teenagers with towering ceilings. Rookie Cedric Coward and sophomore Jaylen Wells both turned 22 before this season tipped. Second-year center Zach Edey will be 24 before the playoffs are finished. They all look like strong support pieces, but where's the rising star in Memphis?
If either Jackson or the Grizzlies (or, gulp, both) have trouble picturing more than Play-In Tournament contention for this roster, don't they have to seriously consider a split? Memphis nabbed a bounty of draft picks for Desmond Bane, but it will need all the dart throws it can get.
The 2027 first-round pick probably won't be great, but who knows how the Celtics are sitting by 2031 and 2032? That's an eternity by NBA measures. Those could be valuable draft assets to hold or dangle in a down-the-line deal should this roster develop sooner than later.
González and Walsh might both emerge as long-term building blocks. If nothing else, they should get chances to showcase more of their skill set than they've been able to show in Boston.
Simons and Hauser would be mostly involved for money-matching purposes, but their shot-making could help this offense breathe—or convince an offense-needy suitor to come calling with additional assets to effectively increase Memphis' haul here.
