If you could build the perfect power forward to put next to Jalen Duren, it would be a player with size who can spread the floor with 3-point shooting. In other words, you’d build Jaren Jackson Jr.
Some of Duren’s defensive weaknesses were exposed during the playoffs, when he was unable to mark Karl-Anthony Towns and had to be switched off him, creating a tough assignment for Tobias Harris.
Speaking of Harris, he only has one more year left on his deal, so power forward is really the Detroit Pistons’ only long-term need.
A floor-spreading power forward who blocks shots would be an ideal replacement for Harris and there is a slight chance that Jaren Jackson Jr. will be available this summer as a ripple effect of not making the All-NBA team.
Detroit Pistons rumors: Jaren Jackson Jr. is perfect, but a long shot
JJJ took some flak in the playoffs for his lack of rebounding, something that wouldn’t matter much if he were paired with Jalen Duren, one of the NBA’s best rebounders.
The two complement each other’s weaknesses and would be a perfect match, but is there any chance JJJ will be available?
The Grizzlies are at a bit of a crossroads, as they seem to have hit a ceiling with this current group and have a solid trio of young players if they wanted to start to retool. If they do, it they will likely make JJJ, not Ja Morant, the centerpiece of it, so the chances of him reaching the trade market are slim and entirely up to Memphis.
Both the Pistons and Grizzlies were affected by the recent All-NBA teams, as Cade Cunningham’s selection will cost Detroit cap space and JJJ’s snub could make it tough for Memphis to bring him back.
According to Luke Adams of HoopsRumors:
“Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. would have qualified for a designated veteran extension – also known as a super-max contract – if he had earned a spot on any of this year’s three All-NBA teams. However, he finished 17th in total voting, with 55 points, falling a little short of the required threshold...As a result, Jackson won’t be super-max eligible this offseason. That means in order to extend him, Memphis will likely need to give him a raise on his 2025/26 salary of $23,413,395 via renegotiation.
Without a pay bump, Jackson’s maximum extension would be worth $146,848,813 over four years, which may not be enough to convince him to sign. If the Grizzlies renegotiate next season’s salary to give him a raise, they would be able to offer up to 140% of his new ’25/26 salary in that first year of an extension.”
This will likely come down to whether Memphis wants to pay that price or thinks they can do better by dealing JJJ now to avoid a massive bump in salary.
Teams (especially small market teams like Memphis) are going to be increasingly cautious about who gets a max deal, as the wrong one can doom your team for years.
The Pacers have given the league the blueprint, which is to have two highly paid players and a bunch of guys on deals between the minimum and $15 million, so the Grizzlies have to decide if they think JJJ is one of those guys at the top of their payroll.
Same goes for the Pistons, who would not only have to give up a huge trade package to get JJJ in the first place but would then be on the hook for a max extension, giving them two on their cap sheet.
The new CBA is changing the way teams do business and we may see them increasingly pass on players who are stars but not superstars, so JJJ’s case is going to be an interesting test this summer.