Jordan Hawkins hasn’t blossomed into the star the New Orleans Pelicans expected when the team selected him in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft. Because of that, the Pelicans reportedly felt comfortable moving on from Hawkins on Tuesday, shipping him and Micah Peavy to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson, according to ESPN.
The Pelicans are also sending a future second-round pick and a future second-round pick swap to the Grizzlies in the deal, per ESPN.
While it’s not a major deal on the surface, the Pelicans had a reason for making it. With the move, the Pelicans saved $5.7 million, giving them the necessary cap space to sign Bennedict Mathurin, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. While news broke in August that the Pelicans were signing Mathurin to a two-year deal, the team still needed to make room for the veteran. Trading away Hawkins and Peavy made that possible.
Since being selected as the No. 14 overall pick in 2023, Hawkins failed to develop into a consistent starter with the Pelicans. He’s started just 20 of the 174 games he’s played with the franchise since the draft.
Hawkins, 24, showed promise during the 2024-25 NBA season, averaging 10.8 points in 56 games, but saw that figure drop to just 5.1 points per game last season. He has one more year left on his rookie contract.
Peavy, 25, averaged 4.3 points per game as a rookie with the Pelicans.
Johnson, 21, is another first-round pick who has yet to break out in the NBA. Despite his age, Johnson has now been traded three times. He’ll look for some stability with the Grizzlies. Johnson averaged 3.3 points last season.
At 41, Gibson is the odd man out in the deal, by age, at least. The 17-year veteran is looking to make it one more year in the NBA. Over the past seven seasons or so, Gibson has filled a bench role with a number of different teams. He is capable of putting up a few points and pulling down a few rebounds in limited work.
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