2024-25 The NBA season is over. It’s time for the team to focus in the offseason, hoping to strengthen their roster ahead of next season.
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the teams expected to be extremely active in trade and reconnaissance in the free agent market.
After all, Mark Walter’s $10 billion acquisition has now received immeasurable financial support. However, it is always wise to consider improving your team through the transaction before engulfing cash into the open market.
With that in mind, Clutchpoint’s Bailey Bassett recently proposed a huge hit move between the Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies.
As the Grizzlies trade Desmond Bain for the Orlando Magic, many hope that the team will say goodbye to star defender Jaren Jackson Jr.
Given the Lakers are in great need of a talented big man, the 17-time NBA champions are naturally linked to Jackson Jr’s potential trade.
However, winners of the 2023 NBA Defensive Player of the Year will not be cheaper. The Lakers will have to say goodbye to Austin to attract the Grizzlies.
That said, here is what Bassett proposed to make this move a reality:
- La Lakers receives: Iyas Jackson Jr.
- Memphis Grizzlies Received: Austin Reeves, Dalton Knecht, Maxi Clever, 2031’s first round pick
Will the Lakers be better after this move? yes. However, the Lakers were able to easily trade Reeves with someone like Andrew Wiggins without giving up.
So, it’s one thing to contemplate for purple and gold. Meanwhile, the main problem with this transaction lies with the Grizzlies. This is what Cedric Maxwell, the double NBA champion, believes.
Certainly, the Grizzlies finished as the eighth seed of the Western Congress in the 2024-25 season, and were dominant.
Grizzlies’ 2025 postseason run ended quickly after experiencing a 4-0 series loss in the first round. Despite this, Maxwell thinks it’s not wise for the team to give up Jackson Jr.
“Hell no. I’m not giving up on Jalen Jackson Jr. I think that guy is a beast. What do you think you’re giving up on him? You have to give me a real player who’s coming back,” Maxwell told the Night Cap Podcast.
He added:
The Reaves may have averaged 20.2 points per game in last season’s 73 contest, but Maxwell is not convinced that it is at the heart of a potential deal sending Jackson Jr. to the Lakers.