New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies trade details. Image via: NBA
The 24-year-old guard was dealt from New Orleans to the Grizzlies on Tuesday in a trade first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, with forward Micah Peavy, a future second-round pick and a second-round pick swap also headed to Memphis. Jordan Hawkins is heading to Memphis to join Cameron Boozer. In return, the Pelicans land AJ Johnson and veteran forward Taj Gibson.
For New Orleans, this trade is less about what they got and more about what it lets them do next. Offloading Hawkins’ salary gives the front office room to lock in Bennedict Mathurin, a move that has been the underlying goal of these talks since July.
Category Details Player traded to Grizzlies Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy Draft compensation to Grizzlies One future second-round pick, one second-round pick swap Players traded to Pelicans AJ Johnson, Taj Gibson Previous team New Orleans Pelicans New team Memphis Grizzlies Contract status (Hawkins) One year remaining, 2026-27 season Salary cap hit (Hawkins) $7,021,895 New Orleans had been shopping $20.6 million former UConn star Jordan Hawkins for weeks, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, who reported on July 22 that the Pelicans were working through trade frameworks to move him. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype added on July 31 that Johnson had entered those discussions as well. The Pelicans picked him 14th overall in the 2023 draft, just three months after he helped UConn win a national championship. His rookie season showed flashes of that promise, averaging 7.8 points and shooting 36.6 percent from three across 67 games. His signature moment came against Dallas in January 2024, when he dropped a career-high 34 points in a Pelicans win. Last season he played just 51 games, started only once, and averaged 5.1 points in limited minutes. Even so, a career 37.4 percent shooter from the field has value, and Memphis is betting it can unlock the version of Hawkins that torched the NCAA Tournament at 50 percent from deep.
The pieces finally came together Tuesday. Memphis, meanwhile, keeps building its war chest. The Grizzlies now hold ten tradable second-round picks and twelve first-round picks across the next seven drafts, nine of which they can deal. Giving up AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson was a small price for a team this deep in assets. Hawkins lands in Memphis carrying more upside than his recent numbers suggest. His role shrank after that. If that shooter shows up, the Grizzlies just found themselves a bargain.