Memphis Grizzlies star center Jaren Jackson Jr. is coming off a stellar 2024-25 season.
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While the Grizzlies’ season was filled with plenty of highs and lows, Jackson was the constant. The 25-year-old completed his seventh season in the league, all with the Grizzlies, and while he was named an All-Star, he missed out on a massive payday.
Although Jackson’s season was great, he missed out on making one of the three All-NBA teams. Because of that, the two-time All-Star will miss out on a supermax, meaning he will miss out on roughly $200 million.
The supermax Jackson would have been able to sign was worth up to $350 million.
With that opportunity no longer on the table, Jackson is now positioned to earn just over $23 million next season and will have to settle for a total contract value just shy of $150 million. This comes after he was left off the All-NBA teams, despite posting impressive averages of 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.
Jackson is entering the final year of the four-year, $105 million contract he inked in October 2021. The Grizzlies are well aware of the importance of locking him in long-term—and with his continued development, the cost of doing so could rise in the near future.
Jackson was second in the team in points, fourth in rebounds, and first in blocks.
The former Michigan State Spartans is one of the many 2026 free agents who have missed out on supermax deals over the past few months. This could mean a ton of different things for Jackson and the Grizzlies.
Jackson may be missing out on a financial boost, but from the Grizzlies’ perspective, the silver lining is the flexibility they now gain—likely prompting them to part ways with several of their own free agents to preserve cap space. And that’s only the beginning.
Another scenario in play is that even with a $17.5 million increase, Jackson’s salary still doesn’t hit his maximum threshold. While he’s currently under contract through the 2025-26 season, he’s expected to have a variety of options to consider once he hits the market, positioning him for an intriguing decision ahead.
An All-NBA nod this season would have avoided all this. Now, Jackson becomes one of the more intriguing players this offseason and possibly next.
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