Jaren Jackson Jr. Trade Idea to Finally Start Memphis Grizzlies Rebuild

Giannis Antetokounmpo's tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks might finally be drawing to a close, and the ripple effects of a potential blockbuster trade extend farther than you might think.

The Portland Trail Blazers, for example, are positioned to capitalize on the changing landscape in Milwaukee by shopping the trio of first-round swaps they have with the Bucks, a class of asset that is rapidly rising in value.

The post-Giannis era in Milwaukee will be bleak for at least a handful of rebuilding years, and the Blazers can either hold onto those swaps in 2028, 2029 and 2030—or they can turn them into a marquee acquisition that vaults them into a higher tier out West.

The latter option sounds more fun, doesn't it?

Let's get the Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies together on a Jaren Jackson Jr. deal that serves both teams' agendas.

The Trade

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Portland Trail Blazers Acquire: Jaren Jackson Jr., Scotty Pippen Jr.

Memphis Grizzlies Acquire: Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, 2028 first-round swap (via MIL), 2029 first-round swap (via MIL), 2030 first-round swap (via MIL)

Why Portland Does It

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Driven mainly by their younger players, the Blazers closed last year strong and are hovering around .500 as we move past the midway point of 2025-26. Deni Avdija is playing at an All-NBA level while establishing himself as a first-option playmaker, and disruptive guards and wings pair with immense size up front to give Portland a defense-first identity.

The Blazers, however, can't shoot and turn the ball over like it's going out of style, ranking dead-last in three-point accuracy while sporting the highest turnover rate in the league. Much of that owes to Damian Lillard and Scoot Henderson, two critical members of the guard rotation, combining to log exactly zero seconds of court time.

In Jackson, the Blazers add a legitimate spacing threat to the frontcourt—one who is ideally suited to play the 4 alongside Donovan Clingan as often as he slots in at center in five-out looks. Since he entered the league in 2018-19, only two centers have hit more total threes than Jackson: Karl-Anthony Towns and Brook Lopez. The former has never been a capable defender, while the latter aged out of that distinction a couple of years ago.

What's more, Jackson's development over the last three years as a scoring threat in isolation make him a dangerous second-side attacker and a valuable supplement to Avdija in ways that go beyond stretching the floor. Portland should also value his low turnover rate; Jackson has regularly coughed the ball up less often than about two-thirds of big men in his eight seasons.

A three-time All-Defense honoree who took home Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, Jackson is arguably the most complete two-way big man around. He can shoot it from deep, put the ball on the floor, defend the rim and smother guards on switches.

That's the kind of reliable, star-level production that could get the Blazers into the West's top six once they get Lillard back next season. There's risk in surrendering all three of those Bucks swaps—and in effectively giving up on Henderson—but Portland has missed the Play-In four years running and has shown enough this season to prioritize a near-term upgrade.

Why Memphis Does It

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Last summer's Desmond Bane deal signaled Memphis wasn't all in on its core, and this year's Ja Morant trade chatter could result in another member of the group heading elsewhere.

While the Grizzlies could go forward with Jackson as their top option—a role that would square with the four-year, $205 million extension that kicks in next year—the wiser path involves a fresh start.

If we assume Memphis is open to a rebuild, which seems reasonable given the pick-heavy package it got for Bane, there aren't many better strategies than shorting the Bucks' post-Giannis future.

It's entirely possible all three of the swaps coming the Grizzlies' way in this deal will yield high lottery picks. So while Memphis technically got more first-round assets in the Bane deal, none came with the upside of these three.

Much of the Grizzlies' willingness to swing this deal hinges on Henderson. A hamstring has kept the former No. 3 pick out all season, but he showed real growth in averaging 12.7 points and 5.1 assists while upping his scoring efficiency as a 20-year-old sophomore last year. Maybe Henderson isn't going to be the next Chris Paul, but potential stardom is very much still in the picture.

If nothing else, Henderson would give the Grizzlies a new backcourt attraction to replace Morant, whose exit would be a necessary precursor to any Jackson-for-assets exchange.

If Memphis is willing to take on the remaining two years and $71 million on Grant's deal, it could emerge with its point guard of the future and a trio of the most valuable draft assets in the league.

Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.

Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.