Also included the deal, said the person: three first-round picks for Memphis, which has been engaged in talks about trading star guard Ja Morant as well. Instead, for now, the Grizzlies — who already had built a sizable haul of looming first-round picks even before this move — decided to part with Jackson, a former defensive player of the year.
Jackson averaged 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this season for Memphis, the team that drafted him No. 4 overall in 2018. He was a two-time All-Star for the Grizzlies, the 2023 defensive player of the year, a two-time blocked shot champion and a three-time all-defensive team pick.
Of the four Utah players moving to Memphis in the deal, none averaged more than 7.1 points per game this season. Niang has yet to play because of injury; he was with Atlanta last season, got traded to Boston in July and then sent to Utah in August.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA