Grizzlies Urged to Trade Away Promising Two-Year NBA Veteran

The Memphis Grizzlies have put together a surprisingly impressive young core, headlined by rising sophomores Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey, while 26-year-old Ja Morant and 25-year-old Jaren Jackson Jr. bring star value.

On top of those key players, the Grizzlies have guys like GG Jackson II, Santi Aldama, Scotty Pippen Jr., Vince Williams Jr., and rookie Cedric Coward, all 24 years old or younger. The Grizzlies are not close to competing in the Western Conference, and despite all of this young talent, the franchise should be looking to capitalize on their star duo of Morant and Jackson Jr. sooner rather than later.

Oct 26, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) and guard Ja Morant (12) get back on defense during the first half against the Orlando Magic at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

As their roster stands, the Grizzlies could be running a 13 or 14-man rotation during the 2025-26 season, and while it is great to have depth that they can rely on, it will certainly hinder their youth development.

The Grizzlies could ultimately decide to pull apart their young core to put together a roster that makes more sense, and one particular promising forward could certainly be on the trade block.

Could the Grizzlies trade GG Jackson?

Jan 27, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson (45) warms up before the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jackson, 20, came into the league when he was just 18 years old, as he was the youngest player in the 2023 NBA Draft class. Despite this, he was incredible as a rookie. Jackson averaged 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game with 42.8/35.7/75.2 shooting splits during his rookie campaign in the 2023-24 season.

However, as a sophomore, Jackson played ten minutes per game less than he did as a rookie, and his on-court production took a significant hit. Now, as the Grizzlies likely look to make changes, he could be thrown into trade talks.

Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley named Jackson as one of five NBA players under the age of 25 who already need a trade.

GG JACKSON SAYS GGs AT THE RIM 😳

WHAT. A. BLOCK. pic.twitter.com/8vDOxwNMg3
— NBA (@NBA) February 3, 2025

"So, Jackson once again appears potentially stuck as a developmental prospect on a team that can't afford many developmental mistakes," Buckley wrote. "A projected depth chart doesn't obviously include him on the two-deep, so he might be scrapping for minutes as he had to this past season, when his average floor time was nearly half what it was during his rookie run."

Jackson will certainly be fighting for playing time in Memphis next season, which is sort of crazy considering how talented the 6-foot-9 forward is.

"The 20-year-old is too talented for this. It's mostly all raw talent, to be clear, but it's talent nonetheless," Buckley continued. "...Jackson needs a lot of leeway to see what he can make up of his unique physical gifts and skills. If the Grizzlies don't want to bother with the one-step-forward, two-steps-back developmental dance, they should send him somewhere he can spread his wings."

Could the Grizzlies trade GG Jackson?

Related Articles