After a disastrous 2023-24 NBA campaign, the Memphis Grizzlies mostly returned to form and were dominant this past season. However, despite having the No. 2 seed for a good portion of the season, the Grizzlies eventually fell to the Play-In Tournament before ultimately getting swept in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Following their early playoff exit, the Grizzlies will shift their focus to the offseason, which could be a major one for them. More specifically, the team must decide what is next for Jaren Jackson Jr., who is eligible for a contract extension in the summer.
Recently, ESPN's Bobby Marks gave his prediction regarding what could be next for Memphis and the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13)
Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13)
© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Because he did not make an All-NBA team this year, Jackson Jr. is not eligible for a supermax contract, making it a bigger possibility that he tests free agency next year. However, Marks does not think it will get to that point.
In a recent article for ESPN, Marks predicted that the Grizzlies and Jackson Jr. will come to terms on an extension. However, he believes they will renegotiate his contract in order to sign him to a new four-year, $190 million deal. This is over $40 million more than what a max contract extension for Jackson Jr. would be as is.
"Because the rookie extension Jackson signed in 2021 declines, the maximum extension allowed would be four-years, $146.8 million... A workable solution is to renegotiate his $23.3 million salary with cap space and then extend him an additional four seasons," Marks wrote about a possible extension for Jackson Jr. "For example, the Grizzlies could use their $6.9 million in available room to increase his salary to $30.3 million. Memphis would then be allowed to extend him for another four years and $190 million."
Since getting drafted by the Grizzlies in 2018, the New Jersey native has been crucial to their success. So far, he is a two-time All-Star, a one-time Defensive Player of the Year, a three-time All-Defensive team selection, and a two-time blocks champion.
Signing Jackson Jr. to a new deal seems like a no-brainer decision for the Grizzlies, especially considering he is only 25 years old. As it stands, and if Marks' prediction comes true, it seems likely that the two sides will come to terms on a new contract this summer.