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The Los Angeles Lakers can officially remove Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. from the list of centers they are pursuing this offseason. Speaking on ESPN's Get Up, NBA Insider Brian Windhorst stated that there was “no chance” of the Grizzlies moving their All-Star big man after Desmond Bane's trade. Rumors had persisted that following Bane's departure, Memphis could pivot further in a bid to acquire assets from a Jackson Jr. trade.
This led to obvious speculation involving the Lakers, considering their long-term search for a center since Anthony Davis left. However, asked whether Jaren Jackson Jr. could be the answer, Windhorst rejected the rumor, claiming that Jackson is set to sign a $200 million extension in the near future.
“No chance. No chance. Absolutely not worth a discussion. Look, I think Jaren Jackson is now in position to sign a contract extension of over $200 million. I would feel very strongly that’s going to happen,” he said. The Grizzlies, according to Windhorst, are committed to building around Jackson Jr.
However, the same does not appear to be true for their other, bigger star, Ja Morant.
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“On the Ja Morant front, that’s a different discussion. I’d be kind of surprised if the Grizzlies were willing to give him a $200 million extension at this point.” And while that may lead to interesting outcomes, the Lakers will need to look elsewhere, once again.
The LA Lakers have been linked to multiple Centers in the past few weeks, ranging from Walker Kessler to the 37-year-old Brook Lopez. While stacked in offense with the arrival of Luka Doncic to take up the reins now and in the future, AD's departure has left a glaring hole in defense.
Jaren Jackson Jr., in the vein of the Hawks' Clint Capela, would immediately walk into their starting lineup and would have been a major coup. However, that seems to be off the table for the LA Lakers, as things stand.
