We're running out of ways to praise the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade. He has only played in three games for the Utah Jazz thus far, and they have won only one of them, but it became immediately clear what the Jazz saw in him. As for what they gave up, many have praised the Memphis Grizzlies for the haul they got back for JJJ, but that's more in regard to the draft assets they acquired.
It's fair to suggest that Utah gave up their best draft assets to Memphis for Jackson. As for the players they traded, that included Georges Niang (who they waived), Kyle Anderson (ditto), Taylor Hendricks, and Walter Clayton Jr.
Hendricks has started to come into his own since joining the Grizzlies, but Clayton has not shown the same progress. Beale Street Bears' Abbas Bokhari noted Clayton's early struggles in Memphis, as he's shooting 35.6% from the field and 23.3% from three since his arrival (which were worse than his numbers in Utah).
The JJJ trade cleared the Jazz of a logjam at guard with Clayton, Keyonte George, and Isaiah Collier, doing the team a favor. However, if Clayton never quite figures it out, it means Utah also escaped that problem in and of itself.
It's obviously not too late, but the Jazz may have capitalized early on a mistake
Throughout NBA history, we have seen late bloomers. The Jazz currently have one of the best current examples of such with Lauri Markkanen. The difference between him and Clayton is that Markkanen showed a lot more early on, which makes sense because the Jazz star is a former lottery pick.
Clayton may simply need more time and reps, but the Grizzlies are a Ja Morant trade from starting over completely. On a team like theirs, he had the perfect opportunity to prove himself valuable, and he's not doing it. And it's not like he came into the NBA completely raw, as he's 23 years old, so guys like him should be ready from the jump, even if their best is typically a few years down the line.
If Clayton does not pan out, Utah not only pulled out at the right time, but also traded a failed first-round pick for one of the NBA's very best two-way bigs while they were at it. That doesn't mean Memphis took an L from the JJJ trade, as we have yet to see who exactly they get with the picks Utah sent them.
But with all the uncertainty surrounding Clayton's future, one can't help but wonder why the Grizzlies didn't ask for more youngsters from the Jazz. It's not like they were exactly running low on those...