The Memphis Grizzlies have kept busy all offseason, and their latest roster move shows just how aggressively they’re reshaping the team. After bringing in guard Jordan Hawkins in a trade, Memphis has already decided to move on.
Hawkins and the Grizzlies agreed to part ways via waivers, giving the 2023 lottery pick a chance to land elsewhere in free agency, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. That decision comes only three weeks after he arrived in Memphis as part of a four-player deal with the New Orleans Pelicans for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson.
Before Hawkins entered the picture, Memphis had already made a major splash by dealing away Ja Morant. ESPN reported that the Grizzlies sent Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers in a move that “sees Memphis start anew and gives the two-time All-Star a chance to revive his career in Portland.” Portland sent Jerami Grant and Kris Murray back to Memphis in the deal.
Hawkins’ exit adds another layer to a summer that has been all about roster turnover in Memphis. The Grizzlies first acquired him in a trade that also sent Micah Peavy, a future second-round draft pick and a future second-round pick swap to Memphis in exchange for Johnson and Gibson. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the move helped the Pelicans clear roster space and create salary flexibility to sign Bennedict Mathurin to a two-year, $16 million deal.
Now Hawkins is back on the market, though there’s still a wrinkle: he could be claimed off waivers by another team, which would take away his ability to choose his next destination. For Memphis, the message is clear. The roster is being built a certain way, and Hawkins is not part of it.