New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends Jaren Jackson Jr To Atlanta, Grizzlies Enter Rebuild

The Memphis Grizzlies shocked the basketball world by sending out guard Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for a massive haul. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Grizzlies are sending Bane to the Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first round picks, and one pick swap.

This is of course a major move for the Orlando Magic and while Bane being the target is a surprise, it has not been a secret that Orlando was ready to make moves to try and move up the Eastern Conference chain. However, it also has major implications for the Grizzlies' future. They now have cleared a big contract off their books in the future and could be considering a teardown. It may be possible to acquire Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr for the right price.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst speculated on this in a post-trade appearance where he had this to say about Morant and JJJ's avaliability:

"The next question is what about Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.? And I don't know the answer to this. This is something that we're just starting to trying to figure out with this trade. The whole league is now going to investigate this. We haven't heard from the Grizzlies yet and if I was at the Grizzlies' press conference this is the No. 1 question I would be asking. I wouldn't be asking about Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, I wouldn't be asking about Cole Anthony, I wouldn't be asking about those four first-round picks. I'd be asking, 'Do you intend to extend Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., both of whom are extension-eligible this summer?' Is that what you're doing now or are you pivoting the franchise?' So, to me, that's the big story emanating out of this trade."

Now, the more likely answer to this question is that Jaren Jackson Jr is not available and the Grizzlies made this move so that they can give him a sizable contract extension that ties him to Memphis for the foreseeable future.

ESPN's Tim Bontemps confirmed as much in a follow-up report this morning:

"Sources told ESPN that the Grizzlies are not looking to deal either of their two remaining franchise cornerstones. The team has spent the past several months clearing salary cap space to complete a renegotiation and extension of Jackson's contract this offseason, preventing him from hitting free agency in 2026. The belief is that an extension will get done, sources said. But the Bane trade gives Memphis an avenue to give Jackson even more on that deal and lock him in long term."

However, if the Grizzlies were to deal their former DPOY winner who's made two All-Star teams and narrowly missed out on an All-NBA selection this season, what team would be interested in making an offer the Grizzlies can't refuse?

One team that could be coaxed into giving Memphis that offer is the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta has a ton of financial flexibility this summer, which they can use to address their needs at interior defense, front court depth, shooting, and maybe a backup lead guard/ball handler. NBA insider Marc Stein has already reported that Atlanta could also look to be facilitators this summer in the trade market due to their financial flexibility, depending on if the team brings back any of Caris LeVert, Clint Capela, or Larry Nance. There's no question that acquiring a player like Jackson Jr would go a long ways towards fixing their poor defense, but the upside of adding him to their existing core might be enough to make the Hawks a top-five seed in the East next season,

To pull off this deal and still give Memphis a plausible stand-in for Jackson Jr, adding a defensively-minded center like Nic Claxton could be a interesting proposition. The Nets are firmly in the midst of a rebuild and would be willing to take on contracts for the right amount of draft picks.

Given the needs of all three teams, what would a trade between them look like? Here is one possible framework for a deal.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Jaren Jackson Jr

Brooklyn Nets Receive: Terance Mann, 2025 1st round pick (via MEM, #16)

Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Kobe Bufkin, Vit Krejci, Mo Gueye, Nic Claxton, 2025 1st round pick (via ATL, #13), 2027 1st round pick (via MIL/NOP, least favorable of MIL/NOP protected for 1-4), 2028 1st round pick swap (via ATL), 2029 1st round pick (via ATL, unprotected), 2031 1st-round pick (via ATL, unprotected)

Why the Hawks would do this deal: In their last major move of the Trae Young era, the Hawks fork over an unprecedented haul of draft picks (three unprotected picks, a protected pick and a pick swap) to land one of the best defenders in basketball who also averaged 22.2 points and 5.6 rebounds on 48.8/37.5/78.1% shooting splits. There's no question he's one of the most effective defensive anchors in basketball. Memphis's defense was 7.7 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court and he finished with a STL% of 1.7% (85th percentile) and BLK% of 2.5% (76th percentile). Jackson shot 51% from midrange (79th percentile last season) and he had his best shooting season last year. Still just 25 years old, there may even be untapped upside in JJJ's game and it's not unreasonable to think he could take another step with Atlanta. A starting five of Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, JJJ and Onyeka Okongwu that brings Zaccharie Risacher, Georges Niang and possibly Caris LeVert off the bench has enough firepower to compete for the top spot in the Eastern Conference while also being a rock-solid defense. Jackson's rebounding issues could be somewhat mitigated by playing with two above-average rebounders for their position in Johnson and Okongwu. He's definitely overtaxed as the primary option on a good team, but he's overqualified for the third or even fourth scoring option that he'd be in Atlanta. The Hawks are giving up basically all of their future draft capital, but they are building a young team that has immense two-way potential in a wide open Eastern Conference.

Why the Hawks would not do this deal: The collection of draft picks they are giving up is extremely hefty. Therefore, JJJ's propensity for fouls, poor rebounding and history of middling playoff performance must be considered in the acquistion cost. The Hawks need to put this much draft capital on the table to both force Memphis's hand and keep Okongwu out of the deal, but it could quickly turn into a failed acquisition if JJJ is unable to improve his rebounding and buy into his role as the third option. He isn't a very high-feel player and his frequent fouling currently limits how often he can stay on the court. Furthermore, the Hawks would have to give JJJ a new extension that comes in right below supermax money. Is that a cost they're willing to pay?

Why the Nets would do this deal: They move up their second first-round pick from #19 to #16 while keeping the 19th overall pick. That gives them a whopping five first-rounders to work with and they get a contract that will be useful for them hitting the salary floor in Mann while clearing more long-term space by sending out Claxton. Brooklyn wants to be a blank-slate roster with plenty of draft picks and Mann wouldn't prevent them from doing anything in the following seasons. He's a veteran who can slide in at SG/SF and he's a solid defender. If he plays well for Brooklyn, they might be able to flip him for more draft capital.

Why the Nets would not do this deal: It's possible they could get two first-round picks from a desperate team like the Lakers and Mann's contract does extend for three years, which is perhaps a little too long for Brooklyn's preferences.

Why the Grizzlies would do this deal: After getting four unprotected first-rounders from Memphis, adding another three unprotected picks while also moving up their selection in the 2025 draft from #16 to #13 gives them a boatload of draft picks to reshape their roster. They've been one of the best drafting teams in the NBA and by entering a rebuild, it positions them to take advantage of a loaded 2026 NBA Draft by possibly ending up in the top three and taking one of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson or Cameron Boozer. All of Gueye, Bufkin and Krejci are on small deals and have future upside. Gueye was a great defender for the Hawks last season, but struggled with fouls. He'd be able to replicate some of the defensive impact they lose with JJJ while Bufkin could develop into an excellent backup point guard or future starter if he's able to stay healthy. He's shown intriguing defensive upside and at 6'5, he brings positional size that Morant lacks. Krejci isn't a household name, but he shot over 40% from three for the second straight season, going for a career-high 43.7% this season on an average of 3.6 attempts per game. In fact, Krejci ranked in the 92nd percentile in three-point accuracy per Cleaning the Glass. He was a deadly accurate shooter and that was how he was most effective for the Hawks. At his best, Claxton is an excellent shot-blocker with defensive versatility and hints of a more expanded scoring skillset. During the 2022-23 season, he led the league in FG% and finished 9th in DPOY voting because he averaged 3.0 blocks per game and routinely took on difficult defensive assignments. He also grabbed 11.1 rebounds a night and looked like one of the best young centers in basketball. Since then, he hasn't been as effective, but it's possible that playing with a good passer like Morant could lead to a revitalization for him.

Why the Grizzlies would not do this deal: By pulling the trigger on this, they are entering a full-on rebuild despite still having Morant on the roster. Furthermore, the odds of landing a player better than Morant/JJJ in the process of rebuilding are low and they still have competent starters like Santi Aldama and Jaylen Wells that might keep them from bottoming out.

More Atlanta Hawks News:

New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends Ja Morant to Chicago, Hawks Get Two-Way Contributor at Point Guard

Orlando Makes Blockbuster Trade For Desmond Bane; Here Is How It Affects Atlanta And The Rest Of The East

New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends Lauri Markkanen to Bucks, Hawks Get Versatile Sixth Man

Atlanta Hawks Lose Out On Massive Center Target Before the Start of Free Agency