The Memphis Grizzlies traded for former fourth overall pick Josh Jackson this offseason. The team announced the former Kansas star will not start the season with the team, but with the Grizzlie's G-League affiliate instead:
Sources: The Memphis Grizzlies and former No. 4 pick Josh Jackson have agreed for him not to join the team in training camp, and start the season in the NBA G League.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 27, 2019
This move comes as a bit of a head-scratcher for a few reasons.
The Grizzlies are a young, rebuilding squad. The whole 2019-20 season will be dedicated to helping young players like Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. develop. Wouldn't it make sense to have Jackson with the team to accelerate his growth?
Memphis must feel that Jackson is not quite ready for the NBA just yet. The young forward has dealt with off-the-court problems since even before he was drafted. Perhaps the Grizzlies think the best route for Jackson is to prove to the team that he is fully dedicated to basketball before they put him on the roster.
Either way, it's good to see that Jackson is willing to agree to the demotion for now. It would be a joy for Memphis fans to see him tear the G-League up and return to the NBA sooner rather than later.
While Jackson has not lived up to the hype that comes with a top-five draft pick, he is only 22 years old. There is plenty of time for the young man to flip the script and have a long, successful NBA career.
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