Advanced statistics have long cited former No. 4 overall pick Josh Jackson as one of the worst players in the NBA, but even considering that as well as the off-court issues that led to his departure from the Suns this summer, Jackson’s fall from grace is disappointing.
The Suns traded him to Memphis just two years after spending the fourth overall pick on him in part to clear cap space to sign Ricky Rubio, and now it appears the Grizzlies don’t even want him on the main roster for training camp.
Check out the latest, via Michael Wallace of Grind City Media:
The road to the @memgrizz for Josh Jackson begins in Southaven with the @MemphisHustle. @MyMikeCheck has the latest https://t.co/6OItDC9ZuC
— Grind City Media (@grindcitymedia) September 27, 2019
More from Wallace’s story:
“Jackson’s representatives and the Grizzlies have mutually agreed to allow the forward to restore his reputation on and off the court through an undisclosed set of guidelines, according to team officials.
“That process apparently will require the 6-8, athletic Jackson to take positive and methodical steps in advance of and through the G League assignment with the Hustle.”
Not what you want to see. Jackson certainly doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt based on his on-court performance or his off-court behavior, but nevertheless, it’s striking to see the demise of someone who entered the league with such promise. Not long ago, Jackson was seen as the perfect partner for Devin Booker on the wing as well as the next modern playmaking wing to take the NBA by storm.
At Kansas, Jackson flashed impressive two-way potential and looked like a surefire top-five pick by all the draft experts. Remember, this is the dude who was taken ahead of De’Aaron Fox, Lauri Markkanen, Donovan Mitchell and Jonathan Isaac. The 2017 class was loaded, and the Suns whiffed.
At least the Grizzlies are taking a patient approach the Suns never seemed to have under Ryan McDonough, setting goals and benchmarks that Jackson must meet in order to be called up to the NBA squad. It’s not as if this Grizzlies roster is set up to be difficult to make, either, so Memphis is showing real restraint here by not biting off more than they can chew with the former No. 4 pick.