Unlocking a contender: The Jaren Jackson Jr. trade market

Since Jaren Jackson Jr. signed a $239.9 million contract extension with the Memphis Grizzlies on July 13, he quietly became eligible to be traded on Tuesday, just as he more loudly enters a trade discussion.

According to Yahoo Sports' Kelly Iko, if the Grizzlies move on from Ja Morant, as expected, "there's a growing thought [among rival executives] that Jackson could be the next domino to fall at some point."

The question, then: What might a trade market for Jackson look like? Robust, to be sure. There are not a lot of 26-year-old, two-time All-Stars in the NBA. Even fewer who have won a Defensive Player of the Year award. And almost none others who can also both space the floor and create for themselves offensively.

Think of the champions of the 2020s — the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder — all of them featured at least one of these skeleton-key bigs who can shrink the court defensively and expand it on the other end, unlocking a title.

In that sense, Jackson may not be just another name on the trade market. He could be the reason the next champion was able to counteract Chet Holmgren against the championship favorite in OKC. Jackson can play alongside a center, too, as a floor-spacing forward opposite the Thunder's double-big lineups.

He might also be the reason the Grizzlies are willing to accept less than equal value for Morant. They recently began entertaining offers for the two-time All-Star point guard, prioritizing a package of "draft picks and young players" in return, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Except, as the market surfaced, Memphis was seeking "at least" a single first-round draft pick as a haul, per Substack insider Marc Stein.

Remember, four-time All-Star point guard Trae Young was traded last week for the expiring contracts of CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. No draft picks were exchanged in the transaction. It was essentially a cost-cutting measure for the Atlanta Hawks, and the Grizzlies will hope Morant's market is not the same.

If it is, though, what message does that send? By seeking a package of picks and young players for Morant, Memphis is telling the rest of the league that it is building for years down the line, when Jackson will be entering his 30s and approaching the end of his current contract. It would make sense, then, to deal Jackson, too, for that same package of picks and young players, which is why rival execs are circling.

Here are nine possible contenders who could make a play for Jackson.

Boston Celtics

The package: Hugo González, salary filler and picks

The Celtics own the league's second-best offensive rating (121.4), and they are starting Neemias Queta at center. While Queta has impressed as a rim-runner and rim-protector, he is hardly a floor-spacer. Nor is he as switchable defensively as Jackson. In other words, Jackson represents a pretty significant upgrade.

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Jackson has shot as well as 39.4% on 6.5 3-point attempts per game, though the past two years he has settled into a slightly above-average status, shooting 37.1% on a handful of 3-point attempts per game. His total package placed him 17th last season on the All-NBA ballot, just shy of a third-team nomination.

We have seen Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis help Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to a championship, and there is no reason to think Jackson could not also vault Boston's wings into more serious contention. Tatum's rebounding ability offsets Jackson's deficiency in that regard. It really is a hand-in-glove fit, so long as the Celtics could keep their core together. Plus, Jayson, Jaylen and Jaren has a nice ring to a trio.

It would be tough for Boston to part ways with González, who entered the NBA this season as a helpful contributor. He is a 19-year-old 3-and-D wing who can attack close-outs and has shown flashes of a more expansive offensive game. He already does all of the little things that help Boston win in a way that shows he wants to be great. González may be the single highest-ceiling prospect the Grizzlies could acquire for Jackson. 

Los Angeles Lakers

The package: Austin Reaves, salary filler and picks

And Reaves may be the single-best current player the Grizzlies could get in return for Jackson. Reaves is making an All-Star bid, averaging a 27-5-6 on 51/37/87 shooting splits for a team on pace to win 51 games.

Katelyn Mulcahy via Getty Images

Imagine Jackson as a pick-and-roll partner to Luka Dončić and LeBron James. He would also solve some of their issues on defense, where they rank 26th, despite Marcus Smart's presence. One strategy, if you must build around both Dončić and James, is to match them with former Defensive Players of the Year.

The Grizzlies' defensive rating is 4.3 points better, allowing 113.3 points per 100 meaningful possessions (or the equivalent of a 13th-rated defense), whenever Jackson is on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass. Opponents are also shooting 8.4% worse than their season averages around the rim whenever Jackson is defending — still an impressive number, though that figure was even better during his DPOY campaign.

Orlando Magic

The package: Anthony Black, salary filler and picks

Black is averaging a 15-4-4 on 47/35/72 shooting splits in a breakout third season, starting half of the Magic's games. The arrival of Jackson, however, would give Orlando a legitimate force at every position on the floor in a lineup that boasts Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane.

As is, the Magic start Wendell Carter Jr., a fine player, at center. He is no Jackson. In fact, Carter might be considered a light version of Jackson. He does not protect the rim as well, holding opponents 3.9% below their season averages at the basket, and he does not space the floor as well, either, shooting 32% from 3-point range on 2.4 attempts per game for his career. Jackson can do everything Carter can, only better.

This move would reunite Jackson with Bane, his former Grizzlies teammate. The Grizzlies outscored opponents by five points per 100 non-garbage possessions when the two shared the court together last season, significantly better than their season-long net rating of -1.4. Together they helped Memphis to 48 wins in the crowded Western Conference last season. Imagine what they could do for a Magic team that could have won 48 games without them, if not for injuries. Better than that is the stuff of contention.

It is concerning, though, how little Orlando has left in its draft tank after making the deal for Bane, which cost them the rights to four first-round picks. They still have another, but would Memphis want to put all of its stock into the Magic's draft capital while making them a contender for the foreseeable future?

Phoenix Suns

The package: Jalen Green, salary filler and picks

The hard-playing Suns have been one of the season's biggest surprises, ranking 14th on offense (114.7 points scored per 100 possessions) and sixth on defense (112.2 points allowed per 100 possessions). They are half a game back from a guaranteed playoff spot in the West. And they should want to be better.

Jackson would represent a significant upgrade over existing centers Mark Williams, Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach, none of whom are floor-spacers. If they have the chance to drive their offense into the top 10 while maintaining their current level of defense, if not improving on that end, why not take it?

What is most impressive: The Suns have almost exclusively done all of this without Green, who has been nursing a hamstring injury for the entire season. We do not yet know what the 23-year-old is fully capable of for a winning team, since the 52-win Houston Rockets cast him off in favor of Kevin Durant, but the Grizzlies may be willing to take the chance that the former No. 2 pick still has All-Star potential.

How much better the Suns could make the deal, given how low their draft stash is, makes for concern. 

Detroit Pistons

The package: Jaden Ivey or Ron Holland, salary filler and picks

The Pistons have long been rumored as a possible destination for Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, whose ability as a 3-point shooter would make him an ideal fit alongside Duren in the frontcourt.

Jackson is not the offensive threat that Markkanen is, but his shooting ability allows him to fit next to Duren as well, while providing a secondary level of rim protection that Markkanen cannot. In that sense, the Pistons would lean into their hard-nosed identity on defense, rather than trying to forge a new one.

Detroit's double-big combination of Duren and Isaiah Stewart is outscoring opponents by 7.7 points per 100 meaningful possessions, operating like a top-five outfit on both ends. Consider adding Jackson to that mix, as the Pistons play with a level of size, physicality and versatility for a full 48 minutes that few teams could match. It would be a counterpunch to Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein in Oklahoma City. 

San Antonio Spurs

The package: Keldon Johnson or Devin Vassell, salary filler and picks

I cannot imagine the Spurs would give up Dylan Harper or Stephon Castle in any deal, excluding one for Giannis Antetokounmpo, at this point. The three-guard combination of Harper, Castle and De'Aaron Fox has been phenomenal for San Antonio. It is hard to mess with that, even for a player of Jackson's caliber.

So, instead, the Spurs would have to build a package around Johnson or Vassell. They have the expiring contracts of Harrison Barnes and Kelly Olynyk, plus plenty of draft picks, to sweeten a pot.

I cannot tell you how terrifying it would be to put Jackson, a former Defensive Player of the Year, alongside Victor Wembanyama, who may perpetually win that award for as long as he can meet the 65-game threshold. Not even the mighty Denver Nuggets' offense would want to see that combination. 

Toronto Raptors

The package: Collin Murray-Boyles, salary filler and picks

The Raptors have surprised most everyone, playing their way, as of now, into a guaranteed playoff spot, and they have done so with Jakob Poeltl — a traditional big — at the center position. They are clearly in the market for an upgrade, as their reported interest in Anthony Davis indicated, and why not be even more motivated to part with a picks-laden package for a 26-year-old who played 74 games last season?

Jackson would add a layer of offensive versatility to a team that boasts Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley and still only manages to rate 19th on the offensive end. Meanwhile, the Raptors would sacrifice little, if anything, on their top-10 rated defense, swapping Jackson for Poeltl.

But would the Grizzlies want any of Toronto's long-term salary? Barnes, Quickley and Poeltl are all on the books at above-market rates through at least the 2028-29 season. Likewise, Ingram and Barrett are owed a combined $69.6 million next season. So, while the Raptors have young players to add to a deal — Jamal Shead, Gradey Dick and Ja'Kobe Walter among them — they may not meet Memphis' presumed cost-saving ask. 

Golden State Warriors

The package: Jonathan Kuminga, salary filler and picks

The Warriors have, for all intents and purposes, given up on Kuminga, benching the 23-year-old former top-10 pick for large swaths of this season, even as his skill set represents a lot of what they are missing.

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So, why would Memphis want Kuminga? It is a good question to ask. He has shown flashes of brilliance, especially on the offensive end, and the Grizzlies might envision a higher ceiling for him in new scenery.

For Golden State it makes all the sense in the world. They need a bit of rejuvenation on both ends of the floor for an old team that features Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Horford. Why not chase a 26-year-old who can improve their standing offensively and defensively? Jackson could both play alongside Green and serve as his long-term replacement on a team forever trying to sustain Curry's prime.

Atlanta Hawks

The package: Zaccharie Risacher, salary filler and picks

Like the Raptors, the Hawks reportedly expressed interest in trading for Davis, potentially offering recent No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher in return. It would follow, then, that Atlanta should have interest in pursuing a floor-spacing, rim-protecting big who better fits the timeline of the 24-year-old Jalen Johnson. 

The Hawks have the single best asset to offer for anyone — the New Orleans Pelicans' unprotected first-round pick in June — though they may not part with that for anybody but Antetokounmpo. They have other draft assets they could offer, even after they failed to acquire picks in return for Trae Young.