Well, the first massive domino to what should be a very entertaining NBA offseason has fallen. The Memphis Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and four unprotected first-round picks with a swap.
The Magic get one of the best shooters in the NBA and a player who will fit exactly what they want to do on both ends of the ball. The Grizzlies get a massive pick haul, but the question remains: what do the Grizzlies do with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr?
“The next question is: What about Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.?” 👀👀
– Brian Windhorst
(🎥 @ESPNNBA )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 15, 2025
With the trade, the Grizzlies did cut some salary, but they also added by taking on KCP, Cole Anthony, and the 16th pick in the upcoming draft. Because of this, the Grizzlies can only create $4.5 million in cap space to help get Jaren Jackson Jr. locked down long term. While Memphis could easily trade another player and get more space, there are going to be questions around the league about their openness to moving the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
While the Grizzlies took in less actual salary in the trade with the Magic, they added to the cap/tax because they took on the 16th overall pick ($4.4M).
Now, without making another move, Memphis can create a maximum of $4.5M in cap space to potentially renegotiate-and-extend…
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 15, 2025
I’ve previously written about how great of a fit JJJ would be next to Domantas Sabonis, and now would be the time for Sacramento to start making calls to Grizzlies GM Zach Kleinman. With Bane commanding four first-round picks, it’s likely JJJ would cost as much for any team looking to acquire him. For a team that has been looking for defense and specifically rim protection for years, four first-round picks may be worth giving up.
Here is what a potential trade between the Kings and Grizzlies could look like.
Sacramento Kings receive: Jaren Jackson Jr.
Memphis Grizzlies receive: DeMar DeRozan, Devin Carter, 2027 first-round pick, SAS 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick, 2030 first-round pick swap, SAS 2031 first-round pick
Player-wise, the Kings are expected to move DeMar DeRozan regardless, so there isn’t much there to complain about, but fans may be reluctant to give up Devin Carter. Carter showed some flashes last season after missing the start of the season with shoulder surgery, but if it means bringing in a player like JJJ, Sacramento shouldn’t balk at including him in a trade.
The Grizzlies will likely ask for either Keegan Murray or Keon Ellis, but Sacramento would be much better off including more draft capital versus trading two young, two-way players. A lineup of Sabonis, JJJ, Murray, Lavine, and one of Ellis or Monk is significantly better and more balanced than any of the five-man squads the Kings were able to put on the court after the De’Aaron Fox trade last season.
For Memphis, they acquire another four first-round picks (plus a swap) and avoid having to pay Jackson Jr, while getting set up to build their team for the future. It’s fair to think that the Grizzlies aren’t planning on rebuilding and may package those picks for another star to pair with JJJ and Ja Morant, but there’s just as much a chance that they are going in a completely different direction with how many young, strong teams are in the Western Conference right now.
This trade gives them as much draft capital as anyone in the league (except maybe Utah and OKC) and allows them to take a bit more time deciding what their plan is for Ja Morant. It also gives Memphis some time to see how players like Vince Williams Jr., GG Jackson, Scottie Pippen Jr., Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey, and more develop without being expected to compete for a title.
This may have only a small chance of happening, but as more and more dominoes continue to fall, the Kings should stay aggressive and be ready to take chances to improve the team. There are sure to be all kinds of Grizzlies-related rumors coming out, and it will be interesting to see if the Kings do end up checking in on Jaren Jackson Jr. For now, we can all dream of JJJ sending shots into the second row of Golden One Center next season.
