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Jaren Jackson Jr. Gets Unfortunate Update on Wednesday After Signing $240 Million Deal

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Ishaan Bhattacharya | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 1:34 PM ET

The Memphis Grizzlies are heading into the 2025-26 NBA season with a revamped roster. The team moved on from swingman Desmond Bane in a trade that added Cole Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the roster. They also signed Ty Jerome to be a major guard presence on the team for next season.

The trade to send Bane to the Orlando Magic was largely motivated by long-term financial concerns, as the Grizzlies wanted to extend former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. on a long-term extension. They did that by signing him to a five-year, $240 million deal.

Unfortunately, Jackson Jr. has suffered a setback days after signing his extension. He was reported to have undergone surgery for a turf toe injury, but his return timeline was unknown. It's now been confirmed that he'll be re-evaluated in 12 weeks, as reported by Chris Haynes.

"Jaren Jackson Jr. underwent surgery and will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks, team says."

This window means Jackson won't be evaluated until mid-September, likely just a week or two before the start of training camp. A re-evaluation isn't the same as a date of return, so he may miss the start of training camp. We won't know more until September, but this is a big blow to the 26-year-old star and the Grizzlies.

Jackson Jr. averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocks per game last season, being named to another All-Defensive team and having the best offensive season of his career.

He's a core pillar of the franchise alongside Ja Morant and will be relied upon to help the Grizzlies return to the postseason after being swept in the first round of the 2025 Playoffs.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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