JJJ does not sign an extension; aims for a bigger deal next offseason

Jaren Jackson Jr. has set himself up for a chance to earn a big-time paycheck from the Memphis Grizzlies - in the following offseason.

According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, the Grizzlies star big man will revisit his contract extension talks with the team next offseason after passing up a chance to sign a new deal during Monday's league extension deadline.

For a bigger pay

Jackson, 25, still has two years left on the four-year, $104.7MM deal he inked in 2022.

He could sign a $106 million extension for three years until Monday's deadline.

As such, the Grizzlies intend to hammer out a new deal next summer in which Memphis can offer him a four-year, $147 million extension.

The amount could even go bigger should JJJ be named Defensive Player of the Year, All-NBA, or MVP this 2024-25 season, making him eligible to land a lucrative five-year, $345 million supermax extension.

In a perfect spot to earn big

This is a no-brainer move for JJJ. As it is, he should settle for a much better chance to earn more for next year, and he certainly feels confident of nailing it following the best season of his career in which he tallied a career-high 22.5 points to go with 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists last 2023-24.

And considering that he won the 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year, Jaren is already familiar with how to secure the award again, which will grant him the perfect way to receive the supermax deal from the Grizzlies.

While he has the tools and capabilities to go for it, Jaren still needs to be healthy to fulfill his contract desire. After being announced inactive to start the 2024-25 season with the Grizzlies due to his hamstring injury, JJJ has to carefully maintain his availability once he finally hits the hardwood soon.

The Jaren-less Memphis will commence the new season on the road, facing the Utah Jazz in their opener on Wednesday.

Related: Jackson Jr. says Grizzlies second round pick is going to be one of the best in the league