Grizzlies’ Final decision on Both Ja Morant and Jackson Jr.’s futures

It has been claimed that Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. will both be retained by the Memphis Grizzlies for the foreseeable future.

On Sunday, the Memphis Grizzlies sent starting point guard Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic in a huge trade.

There was a lot of conjecture over the future of the franchise and its strategy after the trade.

A lot of people were wondering if this was the start of a rebuild, and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst even called it a “rebuild trade.” The Grizzlies may not be starting a complete rebuild, though, according to recent sources.

But they intend to keep their key players and are said to be planning to extend the contract of one of their stars this summer.

Tim Bontemps of ESPN reports that after the trade for Bane, Memphis had no plans to trade Jaren Jackson Jr. or Ja Morant.
Bontemps states that the Grizzlies are not interested in trading either of their two starting forwards.
Also, he brought up the fact that extending Jackson’s contract was the main reason for the Bane trade.

“The team has spent the past several months clearing salary cap space to complete a renegotiation and extension of Jackson’s contract this offseason, preventing him from hitting free agency in 2026.”

The prevailing opinion, according to insiders, is that an extension will be completed. “However, the Bane trade provides Memphis with a chance to extend the deal to Jackson and secure his long-term commitment,” he explains.

The Grizzlies’ 48–34 record allowed them to finish the season as the Western Conference’s eighth seed.

The Oklahoma City Thunder swept them in the first round, despite their securing a playoff position through the Play-In Tournament.
This season, Grizzlies cornerstone Jaren Jackson Jr. has averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.

He is a rock for the defense and a steady scorer and floor spacing big for the offense.

Ja Morant averaged 23.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game despite missing time due to injuries and playing in just 50 games.