NBA Mock Trade Fantasy Impact: Thunder Send Jalen Williams To The Grizzlies

Going over an NBA mock trade between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder, and analyzing how it would impact fantasy basketball.

Apr 19, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams (8) celebrates after scoring against the Phoenix Suns in the second half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder have a lot of money tied up in their three featured players: Jalen Williams, Shai Gilgeous Alexander, and Chet Homgren. With how the season ended against the San Antonio Spurs, questions arise. The number one question being, is the current roster of OKC still enough to compete for an NBA title? 

With the success the Thunder had just a season ago, winning their first championship in their franchise’s history, it is plausible to think they could. But with the ever-changing landscape of the NBA, nothing is certain. Teams adjust and get better, hence the Spurs. The Thunder may think their roster has to be altered to continue to compete now, especially in the midst of Gilgeous-Alexander’s prime. If they do feel this way, they certainly have the assets to move off one of the players in their “Big-3” and get good value in return.

Mock Trade: Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder

Mar 29, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams (8) gestures after a play against the New York Knicks during the second half at Paycom Center. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Thunder Receive: 

PG Walter Clayton Jr.

2026 first round pick #3 overall

Grizzlies Receive:

SF Jalen Williams

2026 first round pick #12 overall

2026 first round pick #17 overall

(In order for this mock trade to be successful, the Grizzlies would need to open up extensive cap space. If they traded Ja Morant, who has been heavily rumored to be moved in the near future, this deal would work.)

Why This Deal Makes Sense For The Thunder

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) stands on court during a practice session ahead of the east regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Thunder in this mock deal get great flexibility. They are no longer pigeon-holed to what they can do in roster building with three max contracts. While they lose a star, they have the potential to get back a player just as good in this mock, in acquiring the #3 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.  A player that OKC has been rumored to be trying to move up to get in position to draft is Duke forward Cameron Boozer.

Boozer’s ceiling is certainly at the level of Williams when he made the All-NBA Third Team in the 2024-2025 season. Having a chance of getting him or another highly touted rookie while losing Williams may well be worth it, especially with Williams now being a bit of a risk to play under his contract value, coming off a season filled with injuries.

Why This Deal Makes Sense For The Grizzlies

There has been a whole lot of chatter of teams being interested in moving up to the Grizzlies' draft spot at #3, but that noise feels pretty one-sided. Memphis has been fairly radio silent on what they are planning to do with their pick, so whether a deal like this even draws their interest is questionable. Unforeseen things do happen in the NBA, and the Grizzlies themselves proved that last season, when they traded Desmond Bane out of the blue to the Orlando Magic.

If the Grizzlies did go this route in their rebuild, they would get a player, Williams, who has shown that he is more than capable of being a good team’s number one option in this mock deal. Something Memphis currently does not have now–Ja Morant, in this mock situation, is seen as being off the roster.

 They also get two first-round picks to help fill the void of losing the #3 pick, in what looks to be one of the deepest NBA drafts in recent memory. 

Fantasy Impact Of This Mock Trade

Williams would be the biggest fantasy winner in the following mock. Joining a team in a rebuild, his usage would see an extreme tick up on offense, bringing in the possibility of him averaging career-high numbers if he is healthy. Williams, this past season in 33 games, averaged 17.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 5.5 APG. In his All-NBA season the year prior, he averaged 21.6 PPG (career-high), 5.3 RPG (career-high), and 5.1 APG.

Both Holmgren and Gilgeous-Alexander, even with the addition of a talented rookie, should see a slight boost in their fantasy value. Their averages across the board should go up in the 2026-2027 season, as the rookie finds his role and translates his game to the next level.