If you were going to name the perfect archetype to add to the Detroit Pistons, it would be a power forward who can stretch the floor and defend, and there might be one available in Jaren Jackson Jr.
We haven’t talked much about JJJ as a possibility of late, mostly because the Grizzlies haven’t given any indication they are willing to trade the two-time All-Star, and the Pistons haven’t given any indication they are looking to make this type of splashy trade.
That could change quickly according to Kelly Iko from Yahoo Sports, who thinks if the Grizzlies trade Ja Morant that JJJ will be close behind:
"In speaking with rival executives, there’s a growing thought that Jackson — while a stark contrast to Morant and despite Memphis’ insistence on him being a key part of its future — could be the next domino to fall at some point assuming a Morant trade is realized."
This speculation is coming from rival execs, so take it with a big grain of salt, as it might be more wishful thinking than reality.
I’ve been on record a million times saying I don’t think the Pistons should make a big move unless it’s for someone who is not only a clear upgrade but fits the culture and isn’t just a one-off rental.
Jaren Jackson Jr. fits that mold, but I still see him as a long shot for several reasons.
The Grizzlies have to find a taker for Ja Morant first
The Grizzlies have reportedly been listening to offers on Ja Morant, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be traded. His trade value is probably the lowest of his career, and it’s not like Memphis is just going to give away a very popular player who is the face of the franchise.
Some team will probably be desperate enough to take a flyer on Morant, but there is no guarantee that happens, and if it doesn’t, JJJ likely isn’t going anywhere. Even if they trade Morant, the Grizzlies signed Jackson Jr. to a monster extension that runs through 2029-30, so may see him as the guy they are going to build around given that he is only 26 years old.
Even if Jackson Jr. does become available in the next few weeks, the Pistons would have to think long and hard about whether he’s the guy they want to stake their future on, as that is what they’d be doing.
Is Jaren Jackson Jr. even worth the risk?
The idea of putting JJJ with Duren is tantalizing, as Duren would cover JJJ’s lack of rebounding, and Jackson Jr. would provide some floor spacing and additional shot blocking and defense.
The Pistons would have two All-Defensive level bigs (Stewart and JJJ) to go along with Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II on the wings, making their defense even better. I do like the idea of strengthening a strength and being the best defense in the league.
JJJ also offers floor spacing and size at the four and is locked into a deal for years to come, so he wouldn’t be a rental.
But man, that’s a lot of money.
JJJ will make between $49-53.5 million over the next four seasons after this one, so the Pistons would be paying a premium for another player who doesn’t score 20 points per game. He’s close, and he’s been above that in the past, so whether he’s a legit 2nd option is in the eye of the beholder.
If it didn’t work out, the Pistons would be all-in on a team that is not good enough, which is a position you don’t want to be in, as adding that contract would end any type of flexibility. That would be the team, and they’d be stuck with it for better or worse.
In the end, he probably won’t be traded anyway, but he is an interesting option, albeit one that does come with concerns and that’s before we even get to the trade cost, which would be substantial and certainly include at least one of the young core players.