AJ Johnson’s next stop may come before he ever suits up for the Memphis Grizzlies.
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, Johnson is not expected to be on Memphis’ roster when the season opens. That would keep the 21-year-old guard in motion after another offseason change, and it would continue a stretch that has already seen him bounce from team to team since the Milwaukee Bucks drafted him in 2024.
Memphis, for now, doesn’t appear to have Johnson penciled into its guard rotation. The Grizzlies acquired him in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks earlier this summer, but their attention seems to be elsewhere.
Scotto’s reporting points to the team wanting a look at Scotty Pippen Jr., Walter Clayton Jr., and Ty Jerome, while Jahmai Mashack and Javon Small also give the backcourt more traffic than openings. In that mix, Johnson looks like the extra piece.
A move still feels more likely than a release. Scotto said the Grizzlies and Pelicans have discussed a deal centered on Johnson and Jordan Hawkins for salary purposes, and Memphis has also checked in with several other teams about Johnson. The goal, at least for now, appears to be finding a trade partner instead of simply cutting him loose.
That would be in keeping with how Johnson’s young career has gone. The Bucks drafted him in the first round in 2024, then sent him to Washington during his rookie season.
Last season brought another trade, this time to Dallas. Now he’s in Memphis, and the possibility of another move is already hanging over him.
For a player who is still only 21, the constant shuffling makes it hard to settle in and develop. Johnson hasn’t had much of a chance to build real momentum anywhere, and the source material suggests that’s part of why he may not be ready to help a rotation for several years.
If there’s a cleanest path forward for him, it may be getting waived so he can pick his next landing spot. The idea is simple: find a team that actually needs another ball-handler and gives him a real opportunity instead of treating him as matching salary. After all the movement, that kind of fit would finally give Johnson a chance to show he’s more than just trade filler.
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