Why Grizzlies, Jaren Jackson Jr. were talking ‘all the time’ before bombshell trade to Jazz

Beale Street basketball will never be the same. From the Grind City Era to the one that never was with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., EVP/GM Zach Kleiman finally called it quits on chasing a title. The Memphis Grizzlies relented to the Utah Jazz in a deal that should kickstart the rest of the NBA Trade Deadline’s action.

Jackson Jr.’s comments after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves now seem ominous.

“I mean, you’ve got to be a pro about it. If you’re not, then, I mean, there is no if you’re not,” Jackson Jr. stressed. “You have to be a pro every day. Come in to work, do what you are asked, and be ready to play. At the end of the day, being out there on the court is the most fun part of all this. So, get your mind right for that, and let everything play out.”

As for the conversations with under fire owner Robert Pera and Kleiman’s front office? Well, Jackson Jr. was keeping the lines open.

“I talk to them all the time,” Jackson replied. “I probably won’t tell you all that, but that’s the whole point of us talking with y’all (the media) ain’t around so.”

Those talks eventually led to the Rockies. It’ll be a rough road for EVP/GM Zach Kleiman’s Grizzlies as they now pivot to the Ja Morant market. Trading Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Jock Landale, and Vince Williams Jr. to the Utah Jazz for Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang, and three future first-round picks is a clear signal that the rebuild has started.

Jaren Jackson Jr. in a Jazz uniform is hard to picture. However, his last words in the Memphis locker room were hard to ignore. It seems the former Defensive Player of the Year really was ready for some fresh air.

The post Why Grizzlies, Jaren Jackson Jr. were talking ‘all the time’ before bombshell trade to Jazz appeared first on ClutchPoints.