Jaren Jackson Jr. is and has been a coveted player archetype in the modern NBA: a player with height and length that can guard on the perimeter and in the paint while spacing the floor on offense.
Jackson Jr. is 6’10” and 242 pounds. In his seven-year career, he’s averaged at least 1.4 blocks a game in every season with two over 2.0. In 2022, Jackson Jr. averaged 3.0 blocks per game and was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Oh, he also has a career average of 1.0 steals per game as well. Jackson Jr. can play power forward alongside Zach Edey or man the center position himself.
While the rebound numbers aren’t great for a player his size, Jackson Jr. has averaged over 13 points per game in every season, with the two most recent seasons over 22 points per game. He’s a career 35% shooter from downtown and averaged 2.0 treys per game last season. He’s also a career 79% shooter from the line.
Earlier in the offseason, the Grizzlies traded away Desmond Bane. On the first day of the NBA Free Agency period, Memphis locked up its unicorn for five years and $240 million, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Ja Morant was the highest paid player on Memphis at $39 million per season. Jackson Jr. has now overtaken him at over $40 million.
With Bane out of town and Morant oft-injured, we could see Jackson Jr. garner a usage rate over 30% sooner than later. Two seasons ago, the usage rate was a career-high 29%. Last season, it was 27.7%.
DraftKings Sportsbook has Memphis at +1600 to win the Southwest Division, the fourth-lowest odds behind Houston (-300), San Antonio (+475) and Dallas (+1500).
