Grizzlies Must Not Overpay for Pelicans Guard Jordan Hawkins

The Memphis Grizzlies may not be done making offseason moves. The latest rumors suggest that they're interested in New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins.

Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported that New Orleans has been working through trade frameworks to move Hawkins for roster and financial flexibility, and that those conversations have included Memphis. There was no agreement in place as of Wednesday night. Hawkins is entering the final guaranteed season of his rookie contract, will earn a little more than $7 million in 2026-27 and reaches restricted free agency in 2027.

It's been a transformative summer for the Grizzlies. Trading point guard Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers and drafting forward Cameron Boozer third overall represents a changing of the guard. Losing combo big Santi Aldama to the Dallas Mavericks, acquiring fellow combo big Isaiah Stewart from the Detroit Pistons, and other moves will prove consequential as well.

Would acquiring Hawkins even be worth the time?

Unfortunately, Hawkins' NBA career has not quite gone according to plan.

He's been wildly inefficient. Hawkins has a career 51.0% true shooting percentage, and that mark slipped to a ghastly 48.0% in 2025-26. He's never eclipsed 40% from the field, and he bottomed out at a career-low 36.6% last season. His 3-point shooting hasn't been nearly strong enough to make up the difference either, at 36.6% as a rookie, 33.1% as a sophomore and 34.8% in 2025-26.

That's part of why his minutes have cratered in the Big Easy. As a rookie, he logged 17.3 per game, and as a sophomore he hit 23.6. He must have lost the organization's trust, because that number dropped to just 13.6 in 2025-26, across only 51 appearances.

Why should the Grizzlies expect more from him?

It always feels wrong to be overly critical of a young NBA player, but it's also better to be realistic.

Hawkins is also a below-average defender. He's not an especially strong playmaker. Shooting was supposed to be his calling card as an NBA player, and he hasn't been a great shooter either. None of which means that this young man's NBA career is over. It is simply to say that his trade value has certainly dropped since the Pelicans selected him with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

He should be worth a flyer to the Grizzlies, but not much more. They cannot afford to give up anything meaningful for Hawkins, and they're tight on bodies as it is, carrying a full 21-man offseason roster with 19 players on standard contracts. So, what would a deal even look like?

The obvious starting point would be veteran guard D'Angelo Russell. It's well understood that the Grizzlies don't plan on keeping him, and Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports reported that Memphis and Russell are expected to work toward a buyout or a trade. The problem is that Russell is exactly what New Orleans is trying to move away from. The Pelicans sit $10.4 million below the first apron, and sending Hawkins out for picks alone would open a roster spot and keep their full mid-level exception available. Taking salary back defeats the purpose.

Memphis doesn't need the filler anyway. The Grizzlies carry a $28.9 million trade exception that Hawkins fits into comfortably. A second-round pick, or maybe two, although that would be pushing it, is the realistic price.

It makes sense for the Grizzlies to have an interest in Hawkins. He's young, and could certainly still blossom into the shooter the Pelicans thought he'd be. If he did, he'd be a perfect fit next to Cameron Boozer.

What wouldn't make sense is moving meaningful players and/or assets to bank on that potential. Hawkins is three years into his NBA career, and his long-term outlook is uncertain:

And the Grizzlies need to make sure theirs is as bright as possible.