Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. has been pivotal to the team's rise in the Western Conference, and often looks like the best player on the court thanks to his dynamic two-way game. He's coming off another standout season in Memphis in which he averaged 22.5 points and earned an All-Star nod.
However, despite his strong campaign, Jackson Jr. was not named to any All-NBA team this season, a snub that may have some financial ramifications for the Grizzlies.
Jackson Jr., who is set to hit unrestricted free agency next summer, will command a maximum-level offer from the Grizzlies or other teams around the league. But because he missed out on All-NBA honors this season, Memphis is limited in the extension amount that it can offer him this offseason; a typical veteran extension comes with a 40% pay bump in year one of the new deal, but given how team-friendly Jackson Jr.'s rookie extension has been, even that wouldn't take him up to the max he could earn next summer.
So if the Grizzlies don't want to risk losing him 12 months from now, they're going to have to get awfully creative.
Jaren Jackson Jr.'s All-NBA snub may be costly for the Memphis Grizzlies
If the plan is to pay Jackson Jr. what he feels he is worth, the Grizzles would have to make additional moves to retain their All-Star big man. According to NBA salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan, the Grizzlies could move to clear up more salary like Jon Konchar's $6.5 million contract, giving Jackson Jr. a short-term raise that would then allow them to extend him from that new number.
The Grizzlies have already taken steps toward cap relief during the regular season, sending their 2025 first-round pick and Marcus Smart to the Washington Wizards and signaling their intent to reshape the roster and finances around their core.
Last season, the Grizzlies finished with a 48-34 record. It was a very up-and-down season in which the team saw head coach Taylor Jenkins unceremoniously fired. They ultimately made the postseason, where they fell to the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in resounding fashion. However, they have been a force in the Western Conference thanks to the tandem of Ja Morant and Jackson Jr. are healthy.
If the Grizzlies want to remain competitive in a loaded Western Conference, keeping a player like Jaren Jackson Jr. should be high on their priority list, even if it's going to cost them some near-term flexibility.