Utah adds former defensive player of the year while Memphis brings in young talent and draft capital ahead of trade deadline.
In a surprising move just two days before the NBA’s trade deadline, the Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz have agreed to a deal that will send former All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Jock Landale and Vince Williams Jr. to Utah in exchange for Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and 3 future first-round picks.
League sources confirmed the deal to ESPN, sending the Grizzlies’ longest-tenured player to a new home in the Western Conference.
Jackson Jr., the 26-year-old in his 8th NBA season, is known for his versatility on defense, becoming the 2nd youngest player in NBA history to bring home the Defensive Player of the Year award back in 2023, and will look to pair his lock-down ability on defense with the high-scoring of his future teammate Lauri Markkanen.
The Jazz, who currently sit at 15-35 and 13th place in the West, will hopefully look to accelerate their play to the next level with the addition of Jackson Jr, rather than remain in the slow rebuild that has been building in Salt Lake City for the past 4 seasons.
Meanwhile for Memphis, they gain valuable draft capital which they can look to either build for the future or flip that into future trades. While questions around the organization remain, especially on the future of Ja Morant, this trade places Memphis in a position with a handful of options heading into Thursday’s trade deadline.
(Photo Credit: New York Times)
