Pelicans Exploring Jordan Hawkins Trade Scenarios

According to Stein and Fischer, the Grizzlies are one of the teams the Pelicans have spoken to as they explore various trade frameworks involving Hawkins.

The 14th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Hawkins averaged 7.8 points per game and made 36.6% of his three-point attempts as a rookie. However, his 3PT% dipped to 33.1% in his second season and then he averaged a career-low 13.6 minutes per game in 51 appearances while shooting a career-low 36.6% from the floor (34.8% on threes) in his third year in 2025/26.

Given Hawkins’ declining playing time and production, it seems unlikely that the 24-year-old would have positive value on the trade market, which means the Pelicans may have to attach an asset to move off of his expiring $7.02MM contract. While Stein and Fischer don’t explicitly say that, they state that New Orleans’ goal in moving Hawkins would be to generate some “roster and financial flexibility,” which suggests the team isn’t expecting to net a significant return for him.

The Pelicans are currently carrying 14 players on standard contracts and operating roughly $8.2MM below the luxury tax line. Moving off Hawkins’ contract would allow them to use their entire $15MM mid-level exception without going into the tax, though it’s unclear if they have a free agent target in mind who would warrant that kind of investment. Moving further below the tax line would also give them more flexibility to take on salary in subsequent trades.

The Grizzlies, meanwhile, are already dealing with a roster crunch — they have a full 21-man offseason squad, including 19 players on standard contracts (17 on guaranteed salaries), and they’ve yet to officially sign first-round pick Karim Lopez.

Still, they have a ton of breathing room below the tax line and have shown a willingness this offseason to take on unwanted salary if draft picks are attached. They also have a massive $28.9MM trade exception that Hawkins would easily fit into.