The Memphis Grizzlies are approaching a crossroads, and as Ja Morant trade rumors grow louder, the ripple effects are beginning to touch the rest of the roster. One name that keeps surfacing in league circles is Jaren Jackson Jr., a player Memphis has long viewed as foundational, yet one rival executives continue to monitor closely.
According to reports from Jake Fischer, opposing front offices are lining up to at least ask about Jackson as Morant’s situation grows murkier. For the first time in Morant’s career, Memphis is believed to be open to listening to offers on its franchise guard. That alone changes the math. Once a team signals even mild flexibility on its star, everything else gets reevaluated.
On paper, Jackson looks like the exact player you build around if you are trying to reset without bottoming out. At 26, he is putting up 18.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field and 36.7% from three. He remains one of the league’s most disruptive defensive bigs, holding opponents to 42.1% shooting as the primary defender. The offense has matured. The defense is still elite. That combination is rare.
It is why he won Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. It is also why his value around the league is enormous.
The contract only adds to the intrigue. Jackson is locked up through the 2029–30 season, with his five-year, $240 million extension yet to kick in. There is no immediate cap crunch forcing Memphis’ hand. That gives the Grizzlies leverage. They can keep him as a cornerstone, or, if they ever choose to pivot hard, extract a massive return from a desperate market.
Inside the organization, the message has been consistent. Jackson is viewed as the foundation, regardless of what happens with Morant. The idea is not that moving Ja automatically means blowing it up. The internal belief is that a retooled roster could still be shaped around Jackson, younger pieces, and a different offensive identity that leans more on balance than explosion.
Around the league, though, there is doubt. Rival executives have been ‘whispering about Jackson all season,’ waiting to see if that stance cracks once real decisions are made. History says it often does. When a franchise moves its most visible star, the definition of untouchable tends to shift quickly.
Teams like the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks have already been floated as potential suitors. Both are searching for a frontcourt anchor who can protect the rim, stretch the floor, and still fit a younger timeline. Jackson checks every box, and he does it without needing an offense built around him.
The timing only sharpens the pressure. Memphis sits 10th in the West with a record of 16–22, well short of expectations, with the February 5 trade deadline looming. If the front office signals a true post-Morant direction, rival teams will push aggressively to test whether Jackson is genuinely off limits or simply the most valuable chip in a broader reset.
For now, the Grizzlies are holding the line. Publicly and privately, they continue to tell teams that Jaren Jackson Jr. is not available. But in an NBA where leverage moves fast, and perception becomes reality, Morant’s uncertainty ensures that Jackson’s name is not going away.
Whether Memphis resists that pressure or eventually listens could define what the next era of Grizzlies basketball actually looks like.
