ESPN's Tim MacMahon recently appeared on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective and spoke about the Memphis Grizzlies and the current situation concerning the team. He begged the question of whether or not Jaren Jackson Jr. will want to remain with the franchise should Ja Morant's days in Memphis be numbered.
MacMahon emphasized the Grizzlies' commitment to JJJ by highlighting the fact that they extended him the minute they were able to in the offseason, and that they did it while knowing he still needed to get surgery. This clearly points to their desire to keep him as a franchise cornerstone.
"Their actions are telling you that they are determined to rebuild the Grizzlies, I would say, around Jaren Jackson Jr.," MacMahon said. There's a lot of discussion around the league wondering if that is mutual, I would say."
This is a fair question, and it's going to lead to a very uncomfortable discussion for Grizzlies fans. There shouldn't be much question about Memphis's belief in Jackson and their desire for him to remain with the team, but you do have to wonder how much the prospect of Morant potentially leaving would alter his mindset.
Jaren Jackson may not want to remain with Memphis if Morant is gone
Jaren has been with this organization since 2018, and his rookie season was the only one of his career that he has known without Ja Morant alongside him. If the Grizzlies truly see it best to move on from number 12, Jackson may or may not want to remain with the franchise. There's certainly a healthy trade market for him, so figuring out a deal to send him elsewhere wouldn't be difficult.
Of course, Jaren only desiring to remain in Memphis if Ja is there would have made a lot more sense a few seasons ago. When Morant was a truly game-breaking talent, it would have been easy to feel like this team would fall apart without him. That's not looked like the case as of late, however.
Morant has quite clearly taken a step back, and he's a far cry from the player he was back in 2022 and 2023. Some fans may not like it, but this team would be more than fine without him. With Cedric Coward and other young players on the come up, the dependency on Ja is at an all-time low.
With that being said, Jaren Jackson's impact would be a bit harder to replace. His defensive impact and ability to anchor a system aren’t easy to replicate. If the Grizzlies lose him as well, that's when things would really get complicated.