No offense to Miles Bridges, but the Charlotte Hornets need an upgrade at power forward. With the rumor going around that Jaren Jackson Jr. could appear on the trading block, they might want to do their due diligence on the Memphis Grizzlies star. The major snag to the Hornets' possible interest is his bloated contract.
Pundits agree that Jackson Jr.'s availability will depend on whether Ja Morant is traded first or not. However, Morant has been adamant that he doesn't want to go anywhere. And regardless of where Morant ends up, Jackson Jr. has also been vocal about his desire to continue playing for the Grizzlies.
So, the chances of the big man entering the trade market are pretty slim. It would be a shame, as he could be an exceptional fit on the Hornets — as long as they are willing to add the remainder of his contract to their payroll.
An expensive defensive anchor
Jackson Jr.'s contract will run through, at the earliest, the 2028-29 season, where he will be paid $52 million. He then has a player option of $53.5 million for the following campaign.
There's an argument that his current deal is worth it, given his two All-Star berths over the previous three years. The 2018 fourth overall pick is also only three years removed from winning his sole Defensive Player of the Year award and leading the league in blocks for a second consecutive season.
The Hornets could use a rim protector like him. They have shown in the past weeks how potent their offense can be, leading the league in offensive rating over the last 15 games. However, their defense remains middling and could use an infusion of a premier defensive talent.
Jackson Jr. would also provide Charlotte with an offensive weapon it desperately needs: a power forward/center hybrid who can score inside and shoot efficiently from 3-point range. He has not played to his standards this season, but a new environment and a different coach could be what he needs to see a resurgence in his play.
Of course, the 26-year-old star is far from perfect. He sometimes fouls too much and is an inferior rebounder for his size. The latter might not be too big a deal in Charlotte, though, as he would be playing alongside one of the league's better rebounders in Moussa Diabate and perimeter-bound players who have no qualms helping clean the glass in LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel.
In many ways, the Hornets could be the ideal destination for Jackson Jr., but seeing him join the franchise may only be a pipe dream.
Trading for him would be difficult, as it would certainly require giving up plenty of assets, likely including Bridges, to match salaries and to make the Grizzlies happy. Furthermore, Charlotte has to prepare for the eventual re-signing of two more potential maximum-contract players, Miller and Knueppel. It could very well turn out to be a financial nightmare.