One of the most prominent former Michigan State basketball stars in the NBA is now on the move as he’s getting a new home for the first time in his professional career.
On Tuesday afternoon, news broke that former Spartan superstar Jaren Jackson Jr. was being traded by the Memphis Grizzlies where he was drafted to the Utah Jazz. It was one of the biggest trades of the season so far, and it also made very little sense to anyone who follows the league.
Shams Charania broke the news.
BREAKING: The Memphis Grizzlies are trading star forward Jaren 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, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/ax6oQpZx0S
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2026
It was a trade of a lot of role pieces, but the 15-35 Jazz are trading three future first-round picks for Jackson Jr. essentially. A team that’s near the bottom of the league, in terms of records, is involved in one of the biggest trades of the season and they’re bringing in a guy who is considered one of the best young bigs in the NBA. That trade makes no sense to me.
Jackson probably would’ve been better suited joining the Pistons, and I was hoping that Trajan Langdon and Detroit’s front office would’ve put together a deal for him.
Jaren Jackson Jr. would have been a perfect fit in Detroit
The Pistons are currently the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference with a 36-12 record, 5.5 whole games ahead of the second-place Knicks. This is an organization on the rise, so it would make sense for them to make an aggressive trade at the deadline to acquire maybe one more star for a deep NBA title run.
Jackson Jr. would’ve been literally perfect.
I’m sure it wouldn’t have been a cheap trade, with the Pistons likely giving up a future piece or two, but getting Jackson to complement Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey would give Detroit a potential final piece to that NBA title puzzle. This could’ve been like Detroit getting Rasheed Wallace back in 2004.
Unfortunately, Detroit ended up making a head-scratching deal, sending Jaden Ivey to the Chicago Bulls and getting Dario Saric (no longer a role player) and Kevin Huerter (who’s shot has fallen off) as well as a first-round pick swap with the Timberwolves. I just wish Jackson was thrown into the mix for the Pistons to add one more star before a deep run.