The Memphis Grizzlies front office had a busy offseason. With six trades to date and a handful of players coming and going, Zach Kleiman and his staff have been working overtime over the past few months to juggle an ever-changing roster.
But something was missing. In fact, I’d argue that the most important part of the offseason was missing.
One of the bigger storylines surrounding this Grizzlies team in the 2021 offseason was concerning the team’s former fourth-overall pick in Jaren Jackson Jr. The Grizzlies’ unicorn of a big was eligible for a contract extension to be tacked onto his rookie deal and it was generally believed that Memphis would get the deal done fast.
The Memphis Grizzlies took their sweet time to extend Jaren Jackson Jr.’s contract
The deal was not done quickly.
Perhaps this happened as a result of the fact that Jaren Jackson Jr.’s career has been riddled with injuries. Having played just around half of the games that he’s been around for, it can be difficult for sides to come to an agreement.
Some, including myself, believed that the Grizzlies would allow Jackson to play a full season in 2021-22 before extending his contract. This even looked to be the case, as the Grizzlies’ forward hadn’t been extended three days before the season began.
Then, on Monday, Memphis finally gave JJJ the contract extension he was looking for, worth $105 million over four years. What does this mean for Jackson and the Grizzlies?