Grizzlies Were Right to Move On From Jordan Hawkins

The Memphis Grizzlies were linked to Jordan Hawkins before they ultimately acquired him, so their recent decision to release the young guard was somewhat surprising.

That doesn't mean it was the wrong move.

The Grizzlies are facing a roster crunch. We knew cuts were coming. D'Angelo Russell was the first victim. It feels inevitable that Micah Peavy and Kris Murray will be on the way out, but the fourth cut was always in question.

Not anymore.

This was likely a difficult decision.

Hawkins is just 24. He's an undeniably talented player. This is a dynamic ball-handler who can hit difficult shots. Players with that profile always have upside.

Unfortunately, he's shot just 34.8% from 3-point range. Hawkins has been generally inefficient. The fact that he hasn't been a particularly strong defender doesn't help matters.

Memphis acquired Hawkins from the New Orleans Pelicans on Sept. 8 in a deal that also brought Micah Peavy, a future second-round pick, and a future second-round pick swap to the Grizzlies.

By now, the most likely outcome feels like Hawkins becoming a career reserve. There's no shame in that, but he's too flawed to be a roster staple. Perhaps someone else will take him on, but Memphis doesn't need to worry about cutting ties with him.

Even if the Grizzlies still need to figure out their long-term backcourt picture.

This is another subject I've touched on recently.

The Grizzlies have talent throughout their roster. They look relatively secure at the 5 spot long-term, barring more Zach Edey injuries, and their wing depth should be the envy of any team in the infancy stages of a rebuild.

But their backcourt depth leaves something to be desired.

If Cedric Coward counts, that softens the blow, but he's arguably a wing. In terms of pure guard play, there isn't much to be excited about in Memphis. Time will tell whether Walter Clayton Jr. can score at the NBA level or whether Javon Small can overcome his height deficit. Scotty Pippen Jr. is good, but at 25, there are no assurances that he's part of a rebuilding team's future.

None of which means the Grizzlies had to commit to Hawkins. If they saw the flaws before they saw the talent, they were right to let him go.

It's clear that Memphis made the Hawkins deal at least partly for the modest second-round draft capital it picked up. The Grizzlies received a future second-round pick and a future second-round pick swap in the deal, while sending AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson to New Orleans.

It's a bit puzzling that they'd been linked to Hawkins before they acquired him, but perhaps they wanted to get a look at him. If they didn't love what they saw in training camp, that's even more reason to release him.

If you trust this front office, you don't need to understand the decision.