Latest Jaren Jackson Jr. Trade Rumors amid Ja Morant, Grizzlies Buzz Ahead of NBA Deadline

While Ja Morant rumors have generated the most headlines for the Memphis Grizzlies, he reportedly isn't the only notable player who could be moved ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

"I poked around a little but about the Jaren Jackson Jr. situation, and my understanding is he doesn't necessarily want out," ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported Monday on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast (22:40 mark). "There have been people around the league who have suggested that's the case, I'm told that's not necessarily true. 

"He just wants to understand what the plan is. … What Jaren Jackson Jr. wants, just like what Ja wants, might not end up mattering in the end. This might be a step-by-step complete teardown of the Memphis Grizzlies."

Memphis is 18-23 on the season and doesn't look like a realistic contender in the Western Conference even though it is currently in play-in tournament position with the 10th seed.

Morant is under contract through the 2027-28 campaign, while Jackson has a player option for 2029-30. Given that level of team control, there doesn't have to be immediate urgency to trade either one if the front office believes it can turn things around while they are signed to the team.

Yet the front office might not believe that and could jump at the chance to accelerate a rebuild by getting young players or draft picks in return.

For his part, Morant told reporters Sunday, "Anybody who in here knows me knows I'm a very loyal guy. I have a logo on my back (Grizzlies tattoo) so that should say exactly what I want."

Still, he was limited to nine games in 2023-24 and 50 games in 2024-25 because of suspensions and injuries and has been anything but a durable franchise cornerstone with tons of playoff success.

As for Jackson, LeBron James' agent Rich Paul made waves when he suggested the Los Angeles Lakers should trade Austin Reaves for the Grizzlies big man. Jackson largely dismissed the discussion though when he said, "There's just a lot of podcasts," per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. "At first, I didn't think it was real. … I didn't really have much of a reaction."

Magic-Grizzlies Full Highlights

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Memphis has won one playoff series since selecting Morant with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2019 draft and Jackson with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2018 draft. While talented, the pairing has not brought the sustained success many surely envisioned when selecting them in the top five in back-to-back years.

Given MacMahon's latest reporting, the front office might not even be particularly interested in seeking the players' opinions either when evaluating the roster and what is the best move going forward ahead of the deadline.

If that ends up being the case, Jackson could be on the way out.