NBA trade news: Memphis Grizzlies add $20.6 million former UConn star from New Orleans Pelicans to pair with Cameron Boozer

Jordan Hawkins is heading to Memphis to join Cameron Boozer. The 24-year-old guard was dealt from New Orleans to the Grizzlies on Tuesday in a trade first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania, with forward Micah Peavy, a future second-round pick and a second-round pick swap also headed to Memphis. In return, the Pelicans land AJ Johnson and veteran forward Taj Gibson.The deal has roots in late July, when whispers first emerged that New Orleans was exploring trade frameworks to move Hawkins and create financial breathing room. Memphis, which has spent the past year hoarding draft capital and young talent, turned out to be the perfect landing spot.CategoryDetailsPlayer traded to GrizzliesJordan Hawkins, Micah PeavyDraft compensation to GrizzliesOne future second-round pick, one second-round pick swapPlayers traded to PelicansAJ Johnson, Taj GibsonPrevious teamNew Orleans PelicansNew teamMemphis GrizzliesContract status (Hawkins)One year remaining, 2026-27 seasonSalary cap hit (Hawkins)$7,021,895Memphis Grizzlies land Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy and two draft assets from the PelicansNew Orleans had been shopping $20.6 million former UConn star Jordan Hawkins for weeks, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, who reported on July 22 that the Pelicans were working through trade frameworks to move him. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype added on July 31 that Johnson had entered those discussions as well. The pieces finally came together Tuesday.For New Orleans, the trade clears space to get Bennedict Mathurin's new contract on the books, a priority that made moving Hawkins almost inevitable. He still had one year and roughly $7 million left on his rookie deal, a manageable number that made him easy to move without much resistance.Memphis, meanwhile, keeps building its war chest. The Grizzlies now hold ten tradable second-round picks and twelve first-round picks across the next seven drafts, nine of which they can deal. Giving up AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson was a small price for a team this deep in assets.What adding Jordan Hawkins means for the Memphis GrizzliesHawkins lands in Memphis carrying more upside than his recent numbers suggest. The Pelicans picked him 14th overall in the 2023 draft, just three months after he helped UConn win a national championship. His rookie season showed flashes of that promise, averaging 7.8 points and shooting 36.6 percent from three across 67 games. His signature moment came against Dallas in January 2024, when he dropped a career-high 34 points in a Pelicans win.His role shrank after that. Last season he played just 51 games, started only once, and averaged 5.1 points in limited minutes. Even so, a career 37.4 percent shooter from the field has value, and Memphis is betting it can unlock the version of Hawkins that torched the NCAA Tournament at 50 percent from deep. If that shooter shows up, the Grizzlies just found themselves a bargain.How the trade could impact the New Orleans PelicansFor New Orleans, this trade is less about what they got and more about what it lets them do next. Offloading Hawkins' salary gives the front office room to lock in Bennedict Mathurin, a move that has been the underlying goal of these talks since July.AJ Johnson gives the Pelicans a young guard already familiar to their front office from earlier trade conversations, while Taj Gibson brings a steady, experienced presence to a locker room that could use one. Giving up a future second-round pick and a swap is a fair cost for the financial flexibility New Orleans gains in return.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.