The Athletic NBA Daily – Jaren Jackson Jr. Traded EMERGENCY POD

Date: February 3, 2026
Hosts: Dave DuFour, Andrew Schlecht, Keith Parish (Grits and Grinds / Memphis Grizzlies podcast), S. Baraheni

Overview:

The emergency pod dives into the seismic Jaren Jackson Jr. trade between the Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz. The hosts analyze the motivations, implications, and future outlook for both franchises in the wake of a major roster shakeup at the NBA trade deadline. They also briefly detour into breaking trade news involving the Bulls, Pistons, and Timberwolves.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trade Breakdown & Initial Reactions

[01:06–03:06]

• Trade Details:

  • Utah Jazz receive: Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Jock Landale, Vince Williams Jr.
  • Memphis Grizzlies get: Three future first-round picks (most favorable 2027 pick from Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah, Lakers’ 2027 first, unprotected Phoenix Suns’ 2031 first), Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang.

• Immediate Emotion and Uncertainty

  • Keith Parish, as a Memphis fan, expresses sadness and mild shock:
    “We tore down a good team to get picks. You’re never gonna get the high five return from me.” [01:38]

2. Implications for the Utah Jazz

[03:06–06:20]

• Jazz get the “best player” in the deal and can now build around Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen
• Concern over future team construction:
  • Is Markkanen staying or could the Jazz double down and deal him too?
  • The fit of a big front line with Markkanen, Triple J, and potentially Walker Kessler—“not the sturdiest front line as far as protecting the rim ... actually grabbing defensive rebounds ... But we still have to wonder what are the next steps for the Jazz and what's their vision?” (Keith Parish, [04:18])
• Tanking to secure draft assets:
  • Possible resting/"creative load management" for Markkanen and Triple J to protect a valuable pick.
  • Both the Grizzlies and Jazz seem prepared to ‘race’ to the bottom:
    • “This doesn't feel like ... the finishing touches on our roster ... [It’s] a talent grab here and we'll see what happens.” (Andrew Schlecht, [05:20])

3. Memphis Goes All In On The Rebuild

[07:02–11:10]

• Grizzlies’ Intentional Tank: Already announced before the trade, now fully committed. “The tank is in ... You get four first round picks for Bane and now three more for Jaren Jackson.” (Dave DuFour, [08:16])
• Questioning the philosophy:
  • “You traded good players for seven first round picks. ... Isn't it to try to win basketball games?” (Keith Parish, [08:46])
  • The concern that collecting picks is not synonymous with building a winner.
• Rationale behind the teardown:
  • “This might be the most competitive thing that the Grizzlies can do at this point, because I don't think they were going anywhere with this current roster.” (Andrew Schlecht, [09:14])
  • It's hard to climb from “the middle” to contention; easier to rebuild from the bottom or build atop a superstar.

4. The Superstar Dilemma: Ja Morant and Team Trajectory

[11:10–13:00]

• Only as good as your stars:
  • “You are only as good as your superstars are. And so because Ja Morant didn't keep ascending ... the build didn't make as much sense anymore.” (S. Baraheni, [11:10])
• Lost potential:
  • “We never really got to see Zach Edie and Ja Morant.” (Dave DuFour, [12:00])

5. Counterargument: Skepticism of Full Rebuilds and Pick Stockpiling

[14:29–17:43]

• Rarity of successful “from scratch” rebuilds:
  • “It's hard for me to get thrilled ... there’s very few [teams] that came from a total tear down ... The Thunder success was largely Paul George trade return.” (Keith Parish, [14:48])
  • Oklahoma City’s tank succeeded only due to SGA's leap and a couple of great picks.
• Grizzlies’ recent approach criticized:

  • Pushed off using cap space, didn't use mid-level exception, prioritized future flexibility over strengthening the present, and ultimately “short-circuited” their best years with Ja/Jaren/Desmond Bane.

  • Key quote: “They didn't even build up the team as good as it could have been because they were worried about paying people in 2027 ... and now we're starting over.” (Keith Parish, [17:05])

6. Reality Check: The Odds Against Tanking and Trying to Outwait the Competition

[18:09–20:54]

• Waiting out dominant teams not viable:
  • “Who are they trying to out? ... are they trying to wait out Victor Wembanyama? ... What's the point?” (Keith Parish, [19:12])
• Draft luck, not just picks, matters:
  • “Who was the last number one pick to win for the team that drafted him? ... Tim Duncan is the last guy ... except for LeBron, but he left and came back.” (Dave DuFour, [18:47])
• Winning isn’t linear: stars arrive unpredictably (Jokic, Giannis, SGA in a trade).

7. Are These Picks Really That Valuable for Memphis?

[21:11–22:55]

• The “every rebuild gets an A+” phenomenon:
  • “Every review of this trade is going to be complimentary for the Grizzlies ... trading good players for picks, you always win the trade when you're trying to lose ... There's no accountability because the goal is not to win.” (Keith Parish, [21:23])
• Was this core ever going to be a title contender, anyway?
  • “I do not think this team could have won a title with Ja Morant as a best player, period.” (Keith Parish, [22:55])
  • Parish prefers perennial playoff relevance (“I'll take that over wandering in the wilderness, praising draft prospects ... are we paying Zach Edie and Cedric Coward max contracts then?” [23:45])

8. Value Received For Jaren Jackson Jr. — Did the Grizzlies Get Enough?

[25:00–25:58]

• Was there really no better deal?
  • “I'm just surprised they didn't get more for Jaren Jackson Jr. ... did Memphis do themselves a disservice by not just shopping him?” (S. Baraheni/Dave DuFour [25:00–25:12])
  • “Once the Ja news comes out, their phone's blowing up for Jaren.” (Keith Parish, [25:32])
  • Possible that Jaren’s camp also influenced the trade location.

9. Live Reaction: Another Trade Breaks

[26:41–29:02]

• New three-team trade: Bulls, Pistons, and Timberwolves send Jaden Ivey, Mike Conley, Kevin Huerter, and Dario Saric between teams with picks and swaps involved.
• Immediate reactions to value and purpose—Minnesota appears to be clearing salary for a bigger move (“precursor deal” [27:25]), possibly for a Giannis pursuit down the road.

10. Final Thoughts:

[29:59–31:33]

• Grizzlies nostalgia:
  • “The Grizz getting Kyle Anderson back, one of my favorite Grizzlies players, bring back Mike Conley obviously ... Just come home man.” (Keith Parish, [30:17])
• Jazz’s next move and big-picture team-building:
  • Jazz seem to want to keep Walker Kessler and envision a big Kessler-Triple J-Lauri frontcourt:
    • “I really like that ... With that much size behind Keonte [George] ... you can do some interesting things defensively ..." (S. Baraheni, [31:03])

Notable Quotes

• Keith Parish (Grizzlies Fan):
  • “You traded good players for seven first round picks. ... Isn't it to try to win basketball games?” [08:46]
  • “It's hard for me to get thrilled ... there’s very few [teams] that came from a total tear down ... The Thunder success was largely Paul George trade return.” [14:48]
  • “I do not think this team could have won a title with Ja Morant as a best player, period.” [22:55]
  • “I'll take [playoff relevance] over wandering in the wilderness, praising draft prospects ...” [23:54]
• Dave DuFour:
  • “Who was the last number one pick to win for the team that drafted him?... Tim Duncan ... except LeBron, but he left and came back.” [18:47]
  • “Draft picks certainly set you up, but like you need to have good players, period. And they don’t have [them].” [18:48]
• Andrew Schlecht:
  • “This might be the most competitive thing the Grizzlies can do ... at best stuck in the middle, which is the worst place to be.” [09:14]
• S. Baraheni:
  • “You are only as good as your superstars are ... Ja Morant didn’t keep ascending, ... it was a downward spiral…” [11:10]
  • “If there is one team that can take advantage of having a million first round picks, I think OKC and Memphis are the two teams.” [20:54]

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |:----------:|:------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:06 | Show opens, emotions on the Jaren Jackson trade | | 02:04 | Full details of the JJJ trade, picks explained | | 05:20 | Jazz strategy and frontcourt fit; talent grab analysis | | 08:16 | Grizzlies’ intentional tank and asset stockpiling | | 10:07 | "If you’re stuck in the middle ..." NBA organizational philosophy | | 14:48 | Rarity of “from scratch” rebuilds | | 17:05 | Grizzlies’ cap/roster missteps prior to the trade | | 18:47 | Success rate for #1 picks, luck vs. planning discussion | | 21:23 | Rebuilds always “win the trade” on paper; accountability | | 22:55 | "This team could not win a title with Ja Morant as best player" | | 25:00 | Did Memphis get enough for JJJ? | | 26:41 | Breaking news: Bulls/Pistons/T-Wolves multi-team trade | | 31:03 | Jazz’s envisioned frontcourt and defensive potential |

Closing Thoughts

With the Jackson Jr. deal, Memphis has pressed the full reset, betting on their strong draft record and asset flexibility. Utah, meanwhile, grabs a young star in his prime, but future roster vision and competitive timeline are still murky. Both teams now find themselves in the tank race, and the pod closes with a bit of gallows humor around the unpredictable, cyclical nature of NBA rebuilding.

For more deep-dive discussion, follow Keith Parish on the Grits and Grinds podcast, and stay tuned to The Athletic NBA Daily for trade deadline week updates.