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Grizzlies, Facing Roster Crunch, Waive Former Lottery Pick Jordan Hawkins

The Memphis Grizzlies, facing a roster crunch with too many guaranteed contracts than they can carry into the season, have waived former lottery pick Jordan Hawkins, the team announced.

The @memgrizz have mutually agreed to part ways with Jordan Hawkins. pic.twitter.com/3o3B5iQnwy
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) October 3, 2026

Both the Grizzlies and ESPN’s Shams Charania described this as a mutual parting of the ways. Memphis will eat (and Hawkins will get paid) his full $7 million contract for this season.

Hawkins likely will land with another NBA team this season, although likely on a minimum contract.

Hawkins is entering his fourth NBA season, his first three with the Pelicans before being traded to Memphis less than a month ago. The 6'5" two guard was projected as a shooter coming out of UConn and in his second season averaged 10.8 points per game but only shot 33.1% from beyond the arc for the Pelicans. Last season, with a new front office in New Orleans that didn't draft him and didn't feel the same loyalty, his minutes and opportunities dropped considerably. Across his three seasons, he has shot 34.8% from 3-point range.

Expect a few teams to consider taking a shot on Hawkins this season to see if a fresh start in a new situation gets him back to his lottery-pick form.

Memphis still isn't done. It has 16 guaranteed contracts on the roster, plus partially guaranteed Jaylen Wells, who likely sticks around, so a couple more players need to be traded or waived (Memphis has the cap space to eat those contracts if it needs to).

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Grizzlies, Facing Roster Crunch, Waive Former Lottery Pick Jordan Hawkins

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