NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Pelicans traded Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, a second-round pick and a second-round pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies for Taj Gibson and A.J. Johnson, a move that creates enough space under the first-apron hard cap to complete the signing of Bennedict Mathurin.
Hawkins, a 6-foot-5 guard entering the final year of his rookie scale deal, saw his playing time dip to just over 13 minutes per game in his third season and has yet to shoot 40% in an NBA season. Peavy has flashed at times. Gibson's guarantee rose from $0 to $200 thousand to facilitate the deal and he is likely to be waived, while Johnson has two years left on his rookie deal with a fourth-year team option due by Oct. 31.
The deal functions as a cap-clearing maneuver for the Pelicans, who previously could not fit Mathurin's contract under the first-apron hard cap his signing will trigger. For Memphis, the return is centered on second-round draft capital in exchange for renting out cap space, rather than on-court production.
New Orleans will now finalize Mathurin's signing while evaluating Johnson before the Oct. 31 option deadline. Memphis adds Hawkins as a flier on a former lottery pick and Peavy as developmental depth, along with future second-round flexibility before training camp.