Grizzlies May Be Better Off Trading GG Jackson II

New rumors suggest that the Memphis Grizzlies are considering trading GG Jackson II and/or Walter Clayton Jr. When it comes to Jackson, it might be the right decision.

I wrote an article on the subject of Jackson recently. Some of the sentiments in that piece are worth repeating in light of these rumors:

The Grizzlies are not set up for Jackson to succeed.

Consider the wings on this roster. Cameron Boozer is the future of the team. Cedric Coward can play the 2, but he should get time at the 3, and he's arguably the second-most important player on this roster. Jaylen Wells is a role player who can work with anyone.

That's all before considering Taylor Hendricks, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and rookie Karim López.

Where does Jackson fit in?

Arguably, he's got more pure talent than any of those players outside of Boozer or Coward.

Yet, he's the worst defender of the group, provided López reaches his potential. He could also be the least consistent 3-point shooter.

Jackson simply does not have many, if any, traditional role-player qualities.

No team is going to try to build its offense around Jackson, at least not yet. A team with a less crowded wing rotation could benefit from putting him in a sixth-man role and seeing how much he can contribute before expanding his responsibilities.

That doesn't even feel viable for the Grizzlies.

They have too much young wing talent to give Jackson that type of role. So, a trade could be best for both sides.

But what should Memphis expect?

An unprotected first-round pick is not likely to happen.

Jackson is too raw. He's too unproven. For all of his shot-making ability, his lack of portability will hurt his value on the open market.

Realistically, flipping him for a point guard of comparable age and trade value could be the best-case scenario. That would be a sensible decision.

What should Memphis do if it can't find that type of trade?

Ultimately, nothing.

It's fine to keep Jackson. Having a talented young player like him is only so problematic, even if you don't have a sufficient role for him.

Whether that's sustainable is a different question.

Jackson is on an expiring contract. Memphis doesn't need to move him right now, but if he's not playing at least 15 minutes per game by the trade deadline, the Grizzlies should probably move him. Otherwise, they can assume they may lose him next summer for nothing.

For now, all Memphis can do is monitor the market.