The Celtics’ perfect Jaren Jackson Jr. deal for the Grizzlies amid the Ja Morant saga

The Memphis Grizzlies‘ decline continued in the 2025-26 season, and it looks like Ja Morant’s days as a member of the team are numbered. Morant hasn’t been at his best this season when he’s played, and he’s currently dealing with a calf injury that may or may not be real given that the writing is on the wall as far as his time with the Grizzlies is concerned.

However, the The Grizzlies need to temper their expectations for what I can get for Morant. Trae Young has shot so little for the Atlanta Hawks on the way back that it’s hard to see Morant commanding much more than the Hawks general on the floor.

If Memphis is to turn toward a full rebuild, they’ll have to step away from more than Morant — maybe even Jaren Jackson Jr., signed by a five-year contract extension for $240 million this past offseason.

Jackson may be in the midst of a down season, but he should have a ton in any trade regardless. He’s one of the best rim protectors in the league, and a down season shouldn’t erase his record as one of the best two-way big men in the association.

The The Boston Celtics were among the teams who have been rumored to be interested in Jackson if he becomes available on the trade market. In a golden shopping opportunity, could the Celtics strike gold — setting themselves up for a potential title run in 2027 in the process when Jayson Tatum returns to full strength?

That said, this is the perfect trade the Celtics have to offer the Grizzlies to bring Jackson.

The Celtics are looking at building a new Big 3

Celtics take over: Jars Jackson Jr.

Grizzlies acquire: Anfernee Simmons, Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh, first round pick 2027 BOS (unprotected), 2031 BOS first round pick (unprotected), 2030 first round pick swap

The trade value of players across the NBA seems to be as difficult to gauge as ever. Four-time All-Star Trae Young put in the Hawks’ C.J. McCollum and Corey Kispert. meanwhile, players like Desmond Bain and Mikal Bridges returned multiple first-round picks and second possessions for the Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets, respectively.

The value of a trade appears to be based on how teams perceive a player’s impact relative to their salary. Team form is also important; The Magic needed a shot, hence their decision to splurge for Bain. Bridges fits on any team, and the Knicks paid a premium to land him over many suitors.

Jackson, at $35 million per season, is insignificant to most teams for multiple first-round picks. But the Grizzlies’ big man, around $51 million per season for the next four years after this current campaign, it will give teams reason to pause.

After all, Jackson’s numbers have been down across the board this season. From 20-plus a night, he is averaging just 18.5 a night this season. His efficiency has declined and he’s not defending at the same level he did when he won the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year award.

And then there’s the matter of Jackson being a a poor buffer for a great man. It is no exaggeration to say that he is one of the worst big players in the association. Even without Zach Eddy for most of the season to steal rebounds, he was miserable, averaging just 5.6 rebounds per contest. Only Myles Turner might be a worse rebounder than Jackson for a rookie in the league.

Still, the merits of acquiring Jackson are clear. He’s incredibly mobile for a 6’10” big man. One could also argue that the decline in his play comes from the overall exhaustion plaguing this struggling Grizzlies team. Perhaps on a team playing winning basketball under one of the best coaches in the league, Jack Mazul, he’d once again be playing at Joe Mazul’s level.

Jackson can also get the ball down the floor and finish with his signature lefty baby hook, and he’s been one of the most consistent stretch players in the league.

The Celtics would have preferred to get a better rebounder than Jackson, but they still won a title in 2024 even though their centers in Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis weren’t the best at cleaning the glass. They’ve made up for it with their floor-spacing and rim-protecting abilities, with Horford’s unique strength being his ability to be a high-level connecting piece and Porzingis being unique in that teams can build offenses around his ability to shoot from the perimeter.

Jackson could combine the best of both worlds for the Celticsthough he will need a strong jump partner to cover his weaknesses. Neemias Cueta may not be that. Regardless, the Celtics have time to find a solution at center — bringing in Jackson is the hard part.

The Celtics will have to part with at least two first-round picks, but with their 2029 first-round pick gone (thanks to the 2023 Jrue Holiday trade), they’ll have to give up their odd-year picks to comply with the Stepien Rule. Thus, they will give the Grizzlies their 2027 and 2031 first-round picks in an unprotected manner. They’ll add a 2030 first-round pick swap to sweeten the deal even more.

It could be argued that this return in the draft is too small for a player with experience like Jackson. But his contract for the next four years beyond this current season is such a huge commitment to take on, and we’ve seen lately that when contracts like these are traded, they don’t tend to cost much on the market.

Karl-Anthony Towns, for example, traded Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a well-protected first-round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Randle and DiVincenzo are much better than Anfernee Simmons, Sam Hauser and Jordan Walsh, but it could be argued that Towns has more trade value at the time of his move to New York than Jackson now with the struggling Grizzlies. So two first-round picks and a trade pick should be a competitive enough starting point as sweeteners for any Jackson trade talks.

As for the Grizzlies, Simmons’ value could rebuild in Memphis amid Morant’s absence. Houser should be an easy fit on the team or easy to replace because of his 3-and-D skill set. Walsh has been a solid player this season for the Celtics who could thrive in a bigger role in Memphis.