New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies have agreed a four-player trade involving two second-round assets to create salary flexibility for Bennedict Mathurin in the NBA. The deal sends Jordan Hawkins and Micah Peavy with a second-round pick and a future second-round pick swap to Memphis for Taj Gibson and A.J. Johnson, a move reported by TalkBasket and ClutchPoints.
Trade details between Pelicans and Grizzlies
The agreed package moves Hawkins and Peavy plus a second-round pick and a future second-round swap to the Grizzlies, while the Pelicans receive Gibson and Johnson. The sporting purpose is immediate: to generate room below the first apron after the two-year, $16 million commitment reached with Mathurin last month.
The structure allows New Orleans to register the guard's contract without exceeding apron limits and to retain flexibility to complete the roster, while Memphis adds young wing depth and draft capital.
Salary context and fit
Mathurin, a scoring guard with transition creation, arrives to strengthen the Pelicans' perimeter. His signing had been pending a salary adjustment that is now resolved through this trade route.
For the Grizzlies, Hawkins brings outside shooting and off-ball movement and Peavy adds defensive energy and rebounding from the wing. The franchise also adds two second-round assets that expand future flexibility.
What changes for each team
In New Orleans, the move prioritizes immediate competitiveness by securing Mathurin and adding veteran interior presence with Gibson, a center experienced in screening, rim protection and defensive work.
In Memphis, the deal fits a strategy of accumulating young talent and picks without compromising medium-term salary structure, with pieces that can earn continuity depending on system fit.
