Pelicans trade Jordan Hawkins to Grizzlies in 4-player deal to clear cap space

The New Orleans Pelicans have traded Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, a future second-round draft pick and a future second-round pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

The trade clears roster space for the Pelicans and frees up salary flexibility to sign Bennedict Mathurin to a two-year, $16 million deal. New Orleans also gets a look at the 21-year-old Johnson, who was the No. 21 pick in the 2024 draft.

Hawkins, a lottery pick at No. 14 in the 2023 draft, now gets dealt by his team prior to his fourth season. The 24-year-old averaged 5.1 points in 51 games last season and struggled to find consistent playing time in New Orleans' crowded backcourt rotation.

The former UConn star played just 13.6 minutes per game last season, a significant decrease from the 2024-25 season when he played 23.6 minutes per game and averaged 10.8 points per game.

The trade saves New Orleans $5.7 million in salary, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks. Johnson was not allowed to be aggregated in a deal until Tuesday — two months from the Aldama trade that brought him to Memphis.

Johnson will be joining his fifth team in three seasons. The 6-foot-5 guard split last season between the Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks before the Mavericks traded him to the Grizzlies for Santi Aldama in July.

Johnson was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024 before being traded later that season to the Wizards. He was then included in the Anthony Davis blockbuster trade between Dallas and Washington five months before this latest move to Memphis.

The Grizzlies, who picked up draft assets in the deal, will have multiple roster decisions before the start of the season as they are several guaranteed contracts above the 15 minimum.

For New Orleans, the move represents a shift away from a young player who couldn't crack their rotation despite his lottery pedigree. The Pelicans needed the financial flexibility to complete the Mathurin signing and create roster space as they prepare for the upcoming season.