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Will Ja Morant be traded? What Jaren Jackson Jr. deal says of Grizzlies' plans
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- Will Ja Morant be traded? What Jaren Jackson Jr. deal says of Grizzlies' plans
The Memphis Grizzlies made a major move ahead of the NBA trade deadline , dealing star Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz for a package of players and picks, according to media reports.
The move signals that the Grizzlies are headed for a rebuild, but it came as a surprise to some because Jackson wasn't the Grizzlies' star who had been publicly mentioned in trade speculation. That was Ja Morant , who the Grizzlies have been considering offers for since the middle of January.
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With roughly 48 hours left until the NBA trade deadline, the next major question for the Grizzlies is the same as it was before the Jackson trade: Will Morant be moved?
What Jaren Jackson Jr. trade says about Ja Morant 's future with Grizzlies
The Grizzlies also traded John Konchar , Jock Landale and Vince Williams Jr. in the deal with the Jazz, according to a league source, and received Walter Clayton Jr. , Kyle Anderson , Taylor Hendricks and Georges Niang , according to media reports. But the most important part of the deal for the Grizzlies were the three first-round draft picks.
General manager Zach Kleiman now has significant draft capital. The Grizzlies got four first-round picks from the Orlando Magic in the Desmond Bane trade in summer 2025 and now have three more from the Jazz, so they're set up to rebuild through the draft in a major way the next few seasons.
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The major question facing the Grizzlies in the immediate future is about Morant. Does Kleiman want to move Morant and build around Cedric Coward , Zach Edey and whoever the Grizzlies draft the next few seasons? Or does he believe he can construct an entirely new roster around Morant?
There are two days left to decide.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: Grizzlies fans, national media react to Jaren Jackson Jr. trade
What other moves could Grizzlies make ahead of NBA trade deadline?
The Grizzlies just traded four players, but there are others on the roster who could have value to contending teams. Santi Aldama is a natural trade target for teams looking for a versatile scorer off the bench. It's extremely unlikely the Grizzlies would want to move young players like Coward, Edey or Jaylen Wells , but it's possible someone like GG Jackson could be available.
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It's also possible the Grizzlies will reroute some of the players they just acquired from Utah.
Memphis Grizzlies schedule
The Grizzlies (19-29) snapped a six-game losing streak with a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 2. They'll face the Sacramento Kings on the road on Feb. 4 in their first game without Jackson.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Will Ja Morant be traded? What Jaren Jackson Jr. trade says of Grizzlies' plans
