Jordan Hawkins’ stint with the Memphis Grizzlies ended before it really got going.
The former New Orleans Pelicans lottery pick was released Friday night in a mutual decision, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Hawkins had just been sent to Memphis by the Pelicans in a deal that also included Micah Peavy and draft capital going to the Grizzlies in exchange for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson.
For New Orleans, the move was about the money. For Memphis, it wound up looking more like a play for Peavy and the picks. Hawkins never got the chance to settle in.
His time in New Orleans had already started to go sideways. Over 51 games last season, he averaged 5.1 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists while shooting 36.6/34.8/85.2 and playing 13.6 minutes per night. That was a steep drop from the promise he flashed as a rookie, when he looked like the kind of perimeter shooter he had been in college.
Instead, the development curve flattened fast. His second season brought a slump, and by Year 3 he was essentially out of the rotation. The Pelicans still showed belief in him, with Joe Dumars and company picking up his fourth-year option, but the on-court role never followed.
There’s still talent to work with, but it’s going to take real rebuilding and a different voice than the one he had in New Orleans. Hawkins isn’t blameless in all of this, but the previous regime also didn’t get the best out of him.
New Orleans had to clear his money to sign Bennedict Mathurin, and now it turns to Johnson, another young guard with project value. He’s cheaper, and he’s younger too.
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