GG Jackson breaks Kobe Bryant record, gets new contract with Memphis Grizzlies
GG Jackson's career night on the floor was topped off with a new contract.
The Memphis Grizzlies are signing their emerging rookie to a standard four-year contract, the team announced on Friday. The deal is expected to have three years guaranteed, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Per team policy, financial terms were not made public.
Jackson, a 6-foot-9 forward, was the 45th overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft. Rated as a five-star recruit out of high school, Jackson's one year in college at South Carolina featured inconsistent performances that led to his stock falling ahead of the draft.
He started this season with the G League's Memphis Hustle. In 22 games in Southaven, Jackson averaged 20 points on 43.3% shooting.
After a wave of injuries hit the Grizzlies last month, Jackson has seen his playing time at the NBA level take off. Jackson averaged 10.6 points per game in January with Memphis, and he's off to an even better start in February. He has scored at least 16 points in three consecutive games. His best performance came Thursday night against the Bulls. Jackson scored 27 points off the bench and surpassed Kobe Bryant as the youngest player in NBA history to reach that total.
Jackson joins Vince Williams Jr. as Grizzlies players who started this season on two-way deals and eventually got promoted to standard contracts. John Konchar, Killian Tillie and Kenneth Lofton Jr. also were promoted from two-way status previously under general manager Zach Kleiman.
The Grizzlies are waiving 6-10 forward Chimezie Metu in a corresponding move to make room on the roster for Jackson. Memphis acquired Metu from the Phoenix Suns as part of a three-team trade earlier Thursday involving former Memphis forward David Roddy.
HISTORY: Grizzlies rookie GG Jackson breaks Kobe Bryant scoring record in loss vs Bulls
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Grizzlies' GG Jackson breaks Kobe Bryant record on day of new contract
