Why the Grizzlies Deserve a Good Grade for Jordan Hawkins Trade

Finally, the Memphis Grizzlies have a trade to announce. The team just acquired guard Jordan Hawkins from the New Orleans Pelicans. The Grizzlies had been linked to Hawkins before. Now, he's officially relocating to Beale Street. But did the Grizzlies get a good deal? Grizzlies Send Minimal Package for Jordan Hawkins Let's look at the details. New Orleans Pelicans receive: Guard AJ Johnson Forward/center Taj Gibson Memphis Grizzlies receive: Guard Jordan Hawkins Guard/forward Micah Peavy A future second-round pick A future second-round pick swap Peavy is a versatile defender entering his sophomore season, but he's already 25. He'll have to improve on the 25.9% he shot from long range in 2025-26 if he's going to get on the floor for Memphis. Then again, they gave up a bad shooter to bring one back. Heading into his third season, Johnson owns a 24.5% career 3-point percentage. He's considerably younger at 21, but otherwise, these are fairly comparable players. The Grizzlies could miss Gibson's veteran leadership, but he's no longer much of an on-court presence. So, that's a minimal loss. The fact that they picked up some modest draft capital is nice, but realistically, this was about the Pelicans passing the buck on Hawkins' restricted free agency next year and the Grizzlies taking a gamble on his improvement. Memphis had already been linked to Hawkins earlier this offseason. Was it a smart bet? Grizzlies Pick Up Potential Rotation Guard Why not? Hawkins has had his own trouble shooting the rock at the NBA level. His 34.8% 3-point shooting last season isn't ghastly like the other numbers printed in this piece, but from a shooting specialist, you'd like to see more. Yet, it would be unfair to judge all shooting percentages in a vacuum. Hawkins is asked to take tougher shots than Johnson or Peavy. He's more comfortable with the ball in his hands, too. So, the Grizzlies would like to see his playmaking improve. Over three NBA seasons, Hawkins is averaging roughly 2.0 assists per 75 possessions. That is, to put it politely, insufficient. For a smaller guard who doesn't offer much on defense, Hawkins has some work to do. He needs to shoot a higher percentage from distance, and he needs to make plays for teammates more willingly. If he can accomplish those goals, he can be a high-end rotation player or even a fringe starter. If he can't? The Grizzlies invested virtually nothing in him. In a worst-case scenario, Memphis lets him go in restricted free agency next summer. They still moved two players who likely weren't in their plans and picked up some second-round draft capital in the process. So, this was a good trade. Grade: B