The Atlanta Hawks, along with most NBA teams with win-now intentions, should be keeping close tabs on the Memphis Grizzlies. Because if Beale Street's finest wants another boost to its asset collection, Ja Morant and his muted trade market won't deliver it.
A true roster reset might require sacrificing two-time All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. And if it does, the Hawks should be ready and willing to pounce. Atlanta may have dismissed the idea of a blockbuster move for a big man in-season, but why wait? Jackson would not only immediately upgrade the center rotation, he'd also fit the long-term plan as a perfectly complementary co-star for Jalen Johnson.
Oh, and the Hawks should have enough to afford him—without even coughing up their top trade chip. Here's how a hypothetical deal could go down and why it would work.
Jaren Jackson Jr. would help Atlanta win now and later.
The Hawks probably aren't one player away from conquering the Eastern Conference, but given its wide-open nature, who really knows? They clearly have one of its most dynamic talents in Johnson, and they've shown flashes of high-level play when they've had the puzzle pieces assembled around him just right.
When he's suited up alongside Nickeil Alexander-Walker (a second shot-creator) and Kristaps Porzingis (a unicorn big man), Atlanta has trounced teams by 8.4 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. For context, only the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder have managed a better net rating this season.
The formula could work even better with Jackson, who is younger, more reliable, better defensively in space, and just as effective as a paint protector and perimeter shooter. The Hawks don't need to tap into their creativity to envision his success; they've already seen the proof of concept.
And this is all true with Jackson in his current form, which is frankly a half-step beneath where he resided last season.
Perhaps getting him into a more competitive environment—and onto a more competent roster—would be all that's needed to get him back to that production: 22.2 points, 2.0 threes (on 37.5 percent shooting), and 1.5 blocks. Numbers that made him both an All-Star and All-Defensive second-teamer, by the way.
Jackson can create, but he can be just as valuable as an off-ball finisher (beyond the arc or above the rim). He can anchor the interior, but he can be just as disruptive when switching out onto perimeter players. Regardless how Atlanta wanted to utilize him—and ultimately help bring out Johnson's best—Jackson would be a fit.
And, again, this would be true for the foreseeable future, too. Which is vastly important if Atlanta was going to part with an asset as valuable as Zaccharie Risacher. Maybe the Hawks can reach shadow-contender status down the stretch, but that's hardly guaranteed. They need to keep a lengthy runway in front of them, and Jackson would be a part of that plan, since he's only 26 and under contract through at least the 2028-29 season.
So, while his arrival would surely skyrocket expectations, Atlanta wouldn't have to win big right this second for the trade to work. The fact he fits both now and later is what should solidify him as a no-brainer target for this team.