7 for 4! Major blockbuster trade for the Grizzlies! Farewell to the All-Star centerpiece!

Yes, the Grizzlies have finally pulled off a trade.

Hold on, something doesn’t add up.

The Grizzlies traded not Morant, but Jaren Jackson Jr...

According to the scoop king Shams:The Grizzlies sent 3J, Conchar, Randall, and Ziaire Williams to the Jazz, receiving Kyle Lowry, Brandon Clarke, Hendrix, Nnaji, and three first-round picks in return.

Wow, a massive 7-for-4 exchange, the largest deal of the year so far.

The most talked-about player in this trade is 3J, born on September 15, 1999, the 4th overall pick in the 2018 draft, a 2.08m tall power forward/center with a 2.27m wingspan, one-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time blocks leader, two-time All-Star, who signed a five-year, $205 million max contract last summer.

Although 3J is a big, strong DPOY winner, his rebounding is underwhelming, averaging only 5.6 boards per game in his NBA career so far. However, he is balanced offensively and defensively, currently averaging 19.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1 steal, and 1.5 blocks per game this season, with shooting percentages of 47.5% and 35.9%. In the previous two seasons, he averaged over 22 points per game.

Salary expert Bobby Marks noted that through this trade, the Grizzlies created a $28.8 million trade exception, the largest in NBA history.

Of course, for the Grizzlies, the key isn’t the trade exception but the acquisition of three first-round picks,which gives them a total of 13 first-round picks over the next seven years, tied with the Nets and Thunder for the most in the leagueand lays a solid foundation for their rebuilding efforts.

Since they are rebuilding, the Grizzlies’ next trade target is naturally the also 26-year-old Morant, who is currently under contract through the summer of 2028, earning $39.45 million this season, averaging 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 1 steal per game, with $87.06 million remaining over the next two seasons.

So far, the Grizzlies stand 19-29, ranking 11th in the Western Conference, three games behind the 10th-place Trail Blazers.