Jaren Jackson Jr. has had a whirlwind of the calendar year 2025. He began this year looking like a lock to make an All-NBA team after securing his second NBA All-Star nod with a top-three team in the Western Conference. He was even regarded as the favorite to win a second Defensive Player of the Year award following the Spurs' big Victor Wembanyama's season being cut short.
However, a March ankle injury followed by a late-season slide by the team and a disappointing playoff showing by both him and the team led to uncertainty for him this offseason. He missed making an All-NBA team, which made him ineligible for a $345 million max contract.
But he and the Grizzlies made it a priority to avoid unrestricted free agency next season and agreed to a renegotiation and extension for five years at $240 million. What followed was a brief setback with a turf toe injury that required surgery and will keep him out until at least October. That hasn't stopped him from getting the knowledge needed to take the next step in the evolution of the game, tho.
Jaren Jackson Jr. has been meeting with Kevin Garnett
Due to his defensive potential and outside shooting prowess as a prospect, Jaren Jackson Jr. received some comparisons to Kevin Garnett ahead of the 2018 NBA Draft. Also, during that time, Garnett became a mentor for Jackson Jr., and they spent time working out together ahead of the draft.
Seven years later, the relationship is still there between the two bigs, as former Grizzlies guard Tony Allen mentioned they spent over two hours watching film. Allen even mentioned that Jaren wanted to get on the court to work on some things, but he obviously can't because of the turf toe injury.
Grizzlies fans can get excited about the fact that Jaren is still looking to gain knowledge to improve his game from one of the NBA's greatest players ever. After signing the richest contract in franchise history, he is making sure he lives up to the expectations that will come from that, especially after his disappointing playoff showing.
Memphis made a bold investment in Jaren this summer when they traded Desmond Bane to build the team around the duo of him and Ja Morant. The two-time All-Star is already displaying why that decision was the correct assessment, and only time will tell if he will apply the knowledge he is receiving to the basketball court when the regular season begins.