The Memphis Grizzlies have signed forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. to a multi-year contract extension.
Per the Memphis Commercial Appeal, “Jackson agreed to a four-year, $105 million rookie contract extension, a league source told The Commercial Appeal. The source requested anonymity because terms of the deal have not been made public. Jackson’s new deal is the third largest in franchise history behind Mike Conley’s five-year, $153 million extension in 2016 and Marc Gasol signing a five-year, $113 million extension in 2015.”
Jackson Jr. has appeared in 126 games (117 starts) over three seasons with the Grizzlies and has averaged 15.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.52 blocks in 26.9 minutes.
The 22-year-old was selected by Memphis with the fourth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft after one year at Michigan State University, where he became the second player ever to be named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. Jackson Jr. was named to the 2018-19 NBA All-Rookie First Team and was selected to the NBA Rising Stars teams in 2019 and 2020 as part of NBA All-Star Weekends in Charlotte and Chicago.
During the 2019-20 season, Jackson Jr. scored a career-high 43 points and tied the franchise record with nine 3-pointers made against the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 13, 2019, becoming the youngest player in NBA history (at 20 years, 83 days) to make at least nine threes in a game. He also set club records for points in a single quarter (26, third quarter) and a single half (34, second half) and 3-pointers in a single quarter (seven, third quarter) and single half (eight, second half).
No other player in NBA history has reached Jackson Jr.’s number of 3-pointers made (213) and blocks (192) within his first 126 career games. He ranks second in franchise history in blocks per game and 10th in total blocks.
