The Memphis Grizzlies have moved on from Jordan Hawkins just a month after bringing him in, waiving the 2023 lottery pick ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Memphis and Hawkins mutually agreed to part ways. Once he clears waivers, the 24-year-old guard will be free to test the open market.
Hawkins arrived in Memphis on September 8 in a deal that also brought back Micah Peavy and future draft capital. In that trade, the Grizzlies sent AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson to New Orleans.
At the time, the move looked like it could add another perimeter scorer to the mix. That picture changed quickly as Memphis continued reshaping its roster.
The Grizzlies’ current direction has made backcourt minutes hard to come by. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo has leaned into the development of younger players like Jaylen Wells, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cam Spencer, leaving Hawkins with a crowded path to playing time. His exit also fits with Memphis’ youth-heavy approach after the offseason trade that sent Ja Morant to Portland.
Hawkins entered the league as the No. 14 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft after starring at UConn, and he was viewed as an elite movement shooter. In three seasons with the Pelicans, he posted 8.0 points and 2.3 rebounds across 174 regular-season games. When his role expanded, he showed real scoring upside.
Still, defensive inconsistency, uneven production inside the arc, and a packed wing rotation in New Orleans kept his role from growing the way some expected. Now he hits the market as a potential floor-spacing option for teams looking for perimeter scoring, while Memphis keeps narrowing its roster around a younger core that includes top-three pick Cameron Boozer and center Zach Edey.
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