Memphis Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. went down with a turf toe injury Monday that needs a procedure to repair, the same day he inked a new max extension with the franchise.
The Grizzlies announced Tuesday night ackson “sustained a turf toe injury in his right foot” while he was participating in a basketball run away from the team facility. Further specifics on the injury aren’t known, but he’ll undergo a procedure to repair it.
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There is not yet a timeline for his return, but he’s expected to make a full recovery. He has several months before the start of the 2025-26 campaign, so there is plenty of time for him to get back.
The news came about 24 hours after the Grizzlies struck a new five-year, $240 million max extension with Jackson at the start of free agency. Jackson’s new deal comes with a player option for the 2029-30 campaign and will pay him about $48 million a year.
Jackson has spent his entire career with the Grizzlies. He averaged 22.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game last season while earning his second All-Star nod. He was set to enter the final year of a four-year deal with the Grizzlies this fall, which would have made him a free agent next summer. Now, though, he’s under contract through the end of the decade.
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The move was one of several the Grizzlies made Monday. They also inked three-year deals with Santi Aldama and former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome. The Grizzlies went 48-34 last season and made the playoffs through the play-in tournament after splitting with longtime coach Taylor Jenkins, but they fell in the first round. They have since promoted Tuomas Lisalo from his interim post to replace Jenkins.
While Jackson’s injury sounds minor and there is ample time for him to recover, the timing just a day removed from receiving a max contract certainly isn’t great.
