Ja Morant Gets Honest on Jaren Jackson Jr. Contract Decision

The Memphis Grizzlies made significant moves during the 2024-25 NBA free agency. They unexpectedly traded star guard Desmond Bane and added multiple key pieces. Crucially, they renegotiated the contract of All-Star forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. and signed him to a multi-year contract extension, though the specific terms were not disclosed by the team.

Jackson Jr.'s teammate, superstar guard Ja Morant, expressed strong support for the extension while attending Summer League. Morant stated Jackson Jr. "deserves it," calling him "the heart of Memphis" and "the heart of this team." Morant admitted he thought the deal would have been larger, citing his lack of understanding of salary cap rules. Morant also emphasized his personal focus on being healthy for the upcoming season and winning more games, declaring he is already working hard ("in the lab").

The article suggests the Grizzlies will be a significantly different team next season. With the previous "big three" of Morant, Jackson Jr., and Bane now broken up, the team will need to rely more heavily on players like Zach Edey and GG Jackson. While the team showed potential last season, starting as a top-four seed, they ultimately finished eighth and were swept in the first round of the playoffs. It remains uncertain if these changes will make them a better team overall.