No Dunks Emergency Pod | JJJ Traded To Jazz, Bulls Land Jaden Ivey

Podcast: No Dunks (iHeartPodcasts)
Date: February 3, 2026
Hosts: J.D. Skeets, Tas Melas, Trey Kirby
Summary prepared for listeners who missed the episode

Episode Overview

In this high-energy emergency episode, the No Dunks crew reacts to two major NBA trades just days before the 2026 trade deadline:

• Memphis Grizzlies trade Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz as part of a sizable multi-player, multi-pick deal.
• Chicago Bulls acquire Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley Jr. in a three-team trade with Detroit and Minnesota.

The hosts break down both deals, discuss implications for the teams involved (including future moves and rebuild plans), and provide their trademark blend of insight, jokes, and NBA “slop” analysis.

Segment 1: Jaren Jackson Jr. Traded to Jazz

[01:26] – [21:32]

Trade Details

• Utah Jazz receive:

  • Jaren Jackson Jr. (JJJ)
  • John Konchar
  • Jock Landell
  • Vince Williams Jr.

• Memphis Grizzlies receive:

  • Walter Clayton Jr.

  • Kyle Anderson

  • Taylor Hendricks

  • Georges Niang

  • 3 future first-round picks (details below)

  • First-round picks included:

    • The most favorable 2027 1st between Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah
    • Lakers' 2027 1st (top-4 protected)
    • Suns' 2031 1st (unprotected)

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Initial Reactions

• Tass Melas:

  • “This is a win win. I'm excited for both teams in this scenario. ... That's as good as you can get for Jaren Jackson Jr. right here, right now.” ([03:30])
  • Memphs gets a true reset with depth and future picks; Utah adds a defensive cornerstone.

• Trey Kirby:

  • “I'm personally proud as well. I had Jaren Jackson Jr. as my number one trade target and he was traded. Check mark.” ([05:51])
  • Jazz are “hitting the gas a little bit on their rebuild” instead of languishing in mediocrity.

Jazz Perspective

• Utah needed a defensive upgrade (“historically bad defense” - [09:17]) and finally uses their stockpile of surplus draft picks acquired in previous trades to acquire an established player.
• “I think this is great because they haven't had a lot of great success in the draft. ... This at least gives them a pathway forward to building a competitive team in the Western Conference.” - Trey ([07:48])
• Possible concern: neither JJJ nor Markkanen are standout rebounders; expect creative lineups.

Grizzlies Perspective

• Memphis is officially rebuilding and could launch a full teardown, especially with Ja Morant trade rumors swirling.
• “They have 13 first-round picks in the next seven drafts. ... that means they can take less for Ja Morant. That means the rebuild is completely on.” - Trey ([07:47])
• “It is a teardown ... just an optimal time that they're able to go get this for Jaren Jackson Jr. ... They have to get worse and this was the time to do it.” - Tass ([10:54])

Future Implications & Additional Notes

• Speculation on Ja Morant’s future intensifies; Memphis will likely accept reduced value in a deal to fully commit to the tank ([10:17]–[12:32]).
• The Jazz will be trying to keep their top-8 protected pick behind closed doors (“mystery injury” for JJJ - [12:58]), but want to test the JJJ-Markkanen core for next season.
• “Utah is currently sixth in lottery odds right now ... they've done a good job of keeping their veterans healthy during the last month of the season ... I think he'll (JJJ) find a way to sit here and there, but they gotta at least see what they have in Markkanen and Jackson together.” - Trey ([12:58])
• “Memphis makes this deal with Walter Clayton in mind because ... he gets after it defensively.” - Tass ([16:26])
• Fun stat: The top 11 picks from the talent-rich 2018 NBA Draft have now all been traded at least once ([17:55]).

Notable Quotes

• “This is such a great compliment for, beside Lowry Markkanen, to have a five beside him who will defend the rim.” - Tass ([03:30])
• “The Jazz were stuck in their rebuild … This at least gives them a pathway forward to building a competitive team.” - Trey ([07:48])
• “Once they traded Desmond Bain, the writing was on the wall.” - Trey ([07:47])
• “They have 13 first round picks in the next seven drafts. ... that means they can take less for Ja Morant. That means the rebuild is completely on.” - Trey ([07:47])
• “Utah is currently sixth in lottery odds ... The Jazz ... are going to have to pull some shenanigans I do believe, to keep this pick or at least hope that they get some luck on lottery night.” - Trey ([12:58])

Segment 2: Bulls Land Jaden Ivey (Three-Team Trade)

[23:04] – [32:56]

Trade Details

• Chicago Bulls receive:

  • Jaden Ivey (from Detroit)
  • Mike Conley Jr. (from Minnesota)

• Detroit Pistons receive:

  • Kevin Huerter (from Chicago)
  • Dario Saric (from Chicago)
  • 2026 protected first-round swap (via Minnesota)

• Minnesota Timberwolves receive:

  • Salary relief; move off Mike Conley Jr.’s $10M (Roster/flexibility move)

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Bulls Perspective

• Trey Kirby:

  • “The Bulls might win two trades in a week. Is that allowed?” ([23:50])
  • “Ivey to me is a good buy-low candidate for the Bulls ... turn two guys who weren't a long-term part of the team into still a young guy in Jaden Ivey. ... He's only 23 years old, turning 24 here pretty soon. He was a high draft pick.”
  • “The Bulls are a team that likes to play fast. ... If they're trading for a 23-year-old, it just feels like he is going to be at least first in line to be a replacement there (for Ayo Dosunmu or Kobe White).” ([24:05], [24:34])
  • “Bulls want to be in transition and they need some young guys who at least have upside. And Ivey, I do think, has that.” ([29:53])

• Memorable recap: Bulls are finally acting productively; Ivey is a “solid buy low deal ... still a really good player in there who, you know, was injured and then was coming off the bench this year.” ([28:27], [29:53])

Pistons Perspective

• Trey Kirby:
  • Huerter “can be a good bench shooter for them. Detroit is only 21st in three-point percentage this year, 27th in makes. They do need more shooting.”
  • Noted surprise/disappointment at how little Detroit got for a recent high draft pick: “I'm just like a little bummed out that this is all the Pistons ultimately got for Jaden Ivey.” - Skeets ([28:27])

Timberwolves Perspective

• Salary dump with Mike Conley's contract for flexibility: “For the Timberwolves this is just all about getting under the second apron so they can aggregate contracts ... this for sure is a first of many moves for the Timberwolves.” - Trey ([25:54], [28:06])

• Connection to possible future deals: “They're in the rumors for Giannis and for James Harden ... and getting under the second apron means they can combine some of their lesser used players into a bigger deal.” ([28:06])

Notable Quotes

• “The Bulls might win two trades in a week. Is that allowed?” - Trey ([23:50])
• “Buy low ... still a really good player in there who, you know, was injured and then was coming off the bench this year.” - Skeets ([28:27])
• “But Minnesota has to have something cooking here, right?” - Tas ([27:58])

Additional Nuggets

• Dario Saric’s Chicago Bulls tenure: Purely a contract move, likely never suited up ([32:13]–[32:37]).
• Anticipated more Bulls activity before the deadline: “I have to think that the Bulls will continue to be active shopping their guys.” - Trey ([31:05])
• Ongoing speculation about Mike Conley Jr.’s fit/stay in Chicago; possible buyout candidate ([31:05]–[31:41]).
• Saric apparently assigned number 20 in Chicago but never played ([32:45]).

Noteworthy, Amusing, and Memorable Moments

• “I had a giant bowl of leftover spaghetti and meat the balls and they were delicious. Now I'm protein powered. Ready to talk trades with the fellas.” – Trey, setting the tone before trade talk ([02:11])
• “Mystery injury pop up for Jaren Jackson Jr.” – Trey jokes about lottery tanking “shenanigans” for Jazz ([12:58])
• “We go live every morning, 10am Eastern ... unless we're back for a big James Harden trade, Giannis trade, Ja Morant trade some other big name maybe that we're not even thinking about.” – Skeets wraps up with a teaser for more breaking pods ([32:56])

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:26] Start of trade talk: Hosts react to JJJ trade news.
• [03:30] Tas’s analysis: “I can't believe I'm saying this. This is a win win.”
• [07:47] Trey on Memphis's rebuild and trade implications.
• [12:58] Trey on Jazz pick protections and tanking machinations.
• [16:26] Tas on Memphis making Walter Clayton Jr. key to the deal.
• [23:04] Bulls, Timberwolves, Pistons trade breakdown begins.
• [23:50] Trey ecstatic about Bulls "winning" more than one trade.
• [28:06] Timberwolves salary moves and rumors for next trades.
• [29:53] Trey on Jaden Ivey's potential upside in Chicago.

Final Thoughts

This episode captures the excitement and chaos of the NBA trade season with signature No Dunks banter and rapid analysis. Both the Memphis-Utah and Chicago-Detroit-Minnesota deals get thorough breakdowns: strengths, weaknesses, and the bigger chess moves at play. Listeners get both tactical insights and the feeling of hanging out with NBA-obsessed friends as league-altering trades happen in real time.

Listen to No Dunks live every weekday at 10am Eastern, and look out for bonus emergency pods when news breaks.