Grizzlies star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. shared a somewhat cryptic message on Twitter on Monday, expressing his gratitude for the city of Memphis a couple of days after the team’s playoff exit.
“Memphis I’m forever grateful,” wrote Jackson on the social media platform.
While it’s entirely possible Jackson was simply conveying his gratefulness to the franchise he’s played his entire career in, many Grizzlies fans took his message to mean something else entirely.
A slew of fans commented on Jackson’s post, expressing their concerns that the 23-year-old was implying he was leaving the team in the offseason.
Memphis I’m forever grateful.
— JJJ (@jarenjacksonjr) May 1, 2023
“He’s gone,” wrote one fan.
Another fan wrote, “WE LOVE YOU DPOY NEVER LEAVE MEMPHIS.”
Additionally, a multitude of other fanbases chimed in with recruitment pitches to attempt to lure Jackson to their respective teams.
The Grizzlies were eliminated from the playoffs by the Lakers in six games. Jackson averaged 18 points, 7.8 rebounds and two blocks per game, registering 36.7 minutes per night throughout the series.
Jackson, who won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2022–23, remains under contract with the Grizzlies through the 2025–26 season. He signed a four-year, $104.72 million extension with Memphis back in October 2021.
Barring a shocking trade request or the Grizzlies receiving a remarkably valuable trade offer, it seems unlikely that Jackson will be going anywhere this offseason. But that didn’t stop fans on Twitter from panicking over his social media activity.
