By Gee Bino | The Who Dat Daily
The New Orleans Pelicans appear ready to reconsider the future of one of their former lottery picks.
New Orleans has explored multiple trade frameworks involving guard Jordan Hawkins, according to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer. Those discussions reportedly include the Memphis Grizzlies, who have expressed interest in acquiring the 24-year-old shooter.
No agreement had been reached when the talks became public. However, the conversations reveal that Hawkins’ standing within the organization has changed dramatically since the Pelicans selected him with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Once viewed as a potential long-term floor spacer, Hawkins is now entering the final guaranteed season of his rookie contract without a clear place in New Orleans’ crowded backcourt.
The question is no longer whether Hawkins possesses NBA talent. It is whether the Pelicans can still provide the role needed to unlock it.
What the Jordan Hawkins Trade Report Says
New Orleans has reportedly gauged Hawkins’ value while searching for additional roster and financial flexibility.
Memphis has registered interest, but the two sides had not finalized a trade. The precise return under consideration also remains unknown.
Hawkins is scheduled to earn approximately $7.02 million during the 2026–27 season. He can become a restricted free agent next summer.
Moving Hawkins in a player-for-draft-capital transaction would not completely transform the Pelicans’ financial position. New Orleans was reportedly approximately $10.4 million below the first luxury-tax apron when the trade conversations surfaced.
A deal could still provide two useful benefits:
- Create another available roster spot.
- Remove a salary connected to a player outside the projected rotation.
That second point is critical. Seven million dollars is not an unreasonable salary for a productive NBA reserve. It becomes more difficult to justify when that player may not receive consistent minutes.
FOX 8 New Orleans confirmed the reported Memphis conversations, while Bleacher Report cited Stein and Fischer’s original reporting.
Hawkins’ Production Fell Sharply
Hawkins entered the NBA with one clearly identifiable elite skill: movement shooting.
He could sprint around screens, relocate after passing and release the ball before defenders completed their closeouts. That combination helped him become a central piece of Connecticut’s 2023 national championship team.
His rookie season produced several flashes of that offensive upside. Injuries elsewhere on the Pelicans’ roster occasionally pushed Hawkins into extended minutes, where his confidence and scoring instincts became visible.
His second and third seasons did not create the same momentum.
During the 2025–26 campaign, Hawkins appeared in 51 games and averaged only 13.6 minutes. He finished with 5.1 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.
More concerning was his efficiency:
| Category | 2025–26 result |
|---|---|
| Points per game | 5.1 |
| Rebounds per game | 1.7 |
| Assists per game | 0.8 |
| Minutes per game | 13.6 |
| Field-goal percentage | 36.6% |
| Three-point percentage | 34.8% |
| True-shooting percentage | 48.0% |
A shooting specialist must provide dependable shooting. Hawkins did not consistently reach that standard last season.
His 34.8% conversion rate from behind the arc was not disastrous, but it was not strong enough to compensate for his limitations in other areas. His overall 36.6% field-goal percentage showed how difficult it became for him to generate efficient offense inside the arc.
Film Room: The Skill That Still Makes Hawkins Valuable
Despite last season’s decline, Hawkins remains an intriguing offensive prospect.
He does not need to hold the basketball to affect a defense. His reputation as a shooter forces defenders to follow him around screens, which can stretch the floor and create driving lanes for teammates.
Hawkins has a fast release, good conditioning and a natural understanding of how to relocate when defenders lose sight of him.
That gravity has value even when he is not making shots.
The problem is that an NBA rotation player must survive when his primary weapon is not working. Hawkins has not developed enough secondary tools to overcome cold shooting stretches.
He is not a dependable on-ball creator. He struggles to finish through contact, and his limited playmaking prevents him from regularly punishing defenders who chase him off the three-point line.
Defensively, opposing teams have targeted his frame and lateral movement. Stronger guards can dislodge him, while quicker creators can force him into difficult recovery situations.
That leaves Hawkins with little margin for error. If his shots are not falling, coaches must ask what else he is providing.
Too often, New Orleans could not find a satisfying answer.
Did the Pelicans Mishandle His Development?
Hawkins must accept responsibility for his efficiency and defensive shortcomings. The Pelicans must also examine whether their developmental plan gave him the best opportunity to improve.
Former head coach Willie Green emphasized defensive accountability, physicality and mistake reduction. Those priorities were understandable, especially for a team attempting to compete for the postseason.
They were not always compatible with Hawkins’ developmental profile.
Hawkins was a rhythm-dependent shooter who needed repetition, confidence and permission to play through mistakes. Green frequently preferred experienced players who could provide more dependable defense.
That created a difficult cycle.
Hawkins would enter games knowing that missed shots or defensive errors could shorten his appearance. For a movement shooter whose value depends heavily on confidence, an inconsistent role made it harder to establish rhythm.
This does not mean Green caused Hawkins’ struggles. Hawkins had opportunities and needed to do more with them. But the combination of a short leash, fluctuating minutes and limited developmental patience did not help a raw specialist expand his game.
The G League Question
New Orleans also could have used the Birmingham Squadron more aggressively.
Hawkins averaged 25.5 points during his limited G League opportunities, demonstrating that he was far too talented for that level offensively.
That may have created a misleading conclusion: Hawkins was too advanced for the G League but not complete enough for dependable NBA minutes.
Yet dominating lower-level competition could still have provided value.
Extended G League assignments would have allowed Hawkins to work as a ball-handler, defend primary scorers and experiment with reads he could not attempt during brief NBA appearances.
Instead, the Pelicans often kept him with the main roster as emergency depth during injury-plagued seasons. That decision was understandable from a roster-management standpoint, but it left Hawkins in developmental limbo.
He was not playing enough in the NBA and was not receiving enough high-volume developmental repetitions elsewhere.
Why Kobe Bufkin Changes the Calculation
The Pelicans’ agreement with Kobe Bufkin adds another layer to the Hawkins trade discussions.
Bufkin averaged 21.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists across three Summer League appearances before earning a training-camp contract.
Bufkin is not guaranteed to make the final roster. However, he provides more on-ball creation than Hawkins and can compete for a reserve role at a much lower financial cost.
New Orleans already has a crowded collection of guards:
- Dejounte Murray
- Jordan Poole
- Jeremiah Fears
- Jordan Hawkins
- Bryce McGowens
- Jaron Pierre Jr.
- Micah Peavy
- Kobe Bufkin
Not all of them will receive regular minutes.
Murray, Poole and Fears project as the primary creators. McGowens, Peavy and Pierre offer greater positional size. Bufkin now brings another scoring and ball-handling option into training camp.
That leaves Hawkins fighting for opportunities in the role that once appeared designed for him.
Would Memphis Be a Better Fit?
A move to Memphis could provide the reset Hawkins needs.
The Grizzlies have reason to pursue inexpensive shooting around their primary creators. Hawkins’ movement, quick release and ability to stretch defenses could complement guards who attack the paint.
Memphis would still need to account for his defensive limitations. However, a new organization might be more willing to design specific lineups around his shooting and give him the consistent role he never secured in New Orleans.
For the Pelicans, the return matters.
Trading a former lottery selection only to clear a roster spot would be an admission that his development did not go as planned. New Orleans should attempt to recover draft capital or another young developmental asset rather than surrendering Hawkins solely for immediate savings.
Selling at the lowest point of his value would be difficult to defend unless the roster flexibility directly leads to another useful move.
Big Q’s Take
The Pelicans should not trade Hawkins simply because his third season was disappointing.
They should trade him if Jamahl Mosley and the new coaching staff have already determined that he will not receive a meaningful opportunity.
Keeping Hawkins at a salary above $7 million while burying him at the end of the bench would help nobody. It would waste a roster spot, reduce his value further and repeat the same developmental pattern that contributed to this situation.
But New Orleans must also recognize what it would be giving away.
Elite movement shooters are difficult to find. Hawkins is only 24, and his best NBA basketball could still be ahead of him. A stable role and a coach willing to live with some early defensive mistakes might allow his offense to reappear.
The Pelicans cannot demand premium value after allowing his role and production to decline. That is the cost of waiting.
Why It Matters
The Hawkins decision is about more than one reserve guard.
It will show how the Joe Dumars-led front office evaluates the roster it inherited and how Mosley intends to balance defense, development and offensive spacing.
New Orleans finished last season ranked near the bottom of the NBA defensively, but the team also needs reliable shooting around its primary creators. Moving Hawkins could improve flexibility while simultaneously removing one of the roster’s few natural movement shooters.
That is the tension behind these trade discussions.
The Pelicans must determine whether Hawkins is an unfinished prospect worth rebuilding or a mismatched asset whose best opportunity exists somewhere else.
Standing still without creating a real developmental plan would be the worst outcome.
Prediction
New Orleans will continue exploring Hawkins trades through training camp, but the front office should not accept a deal solely for salary relief.
Memphis remains a logical destination if the Grizzlies are willing to provide draft compensation without returning another guaranteed contract.
Prediction: Hawkins is traded before the start of the 2026–27 regular season.
Confidence level: 7 out of 10.
Gee Bino is a senior writer and columnist for The Who Dat Daily, covering the New Orleans Saints, Pelicans, LSU athletics, and the Gulf South sports landscape. He specializes in roster construction, player development, salary cap strategy, and breaking news coverage. Follow The Who Dat Daily for daily news, analysis, and exclusive team coverage.
