Memphis Grizzlies Rookie GG Jackson Proving his Talent Is Undeniable

What does it say about Jackson II that he landed a guaranteed contract after just 15 games in Memphis’ rotation?

GG Jackson II made headlines this weekend, signing his name to a long-term contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. This deal covers four years and is worth $8.5 million. The first three years of this contract are guaranteed.

Jackson II earned his new contract after his stellar play as of late. Previously on a two-way deal, the 6-foot-9 forward dropped 27 points and 9 rebounds on 9-of-8 shooting from the field and 4-of-9 shooting from deep in a Thursday night loss to the Chicago Bulls. In this match, the No. 45 overall pick unseated Kobe Bryant as the youngest player to ever record at least 25 points off the bench.

Despite his status as the youngest player in the NBA, Jackson II has been able to provide consistent impact for Memphis during their injury-riddled season. In his last 15 games, the 6-foot-9 forward has played over 24 minutes per contest en route to averages of 13.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting just under 39% from beyond the arc on an average of 5.3 attempts. In total, he’s had a TS% of just under 59 TS% during this stretch of games and has passed the 20-point threshold on three separate occasions.

Once the top-recruit of the 2023 high school graduating class, Jackson II was on path to attend UNC and go off the board near the top of the 2034 NBA Draft. However, he decided to reclassify up a year and commit to his local University of South Carolina at 18 years old. This decision ultimately led him to slip to the second round of the talented 2023 Draft as teams remained wary of his inefficient play as a freshman.

But after signing this contract with the Grizzlies, Jackson II has proved his talent is too undeniable for him to not shine. With his skillset at 6-foot-9, he has the ability to impose his size and physicality on the game while being a skilled shot-maker from all over the court. He’s thrived in a scaled-down NBA role; it’s only taken 15 games in the Grizzlies’ rotation to earn a guaranteed contract. He remains just 19 years old as he begins play under his new deal.

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