Shortly before the start of NBA free agency, the Memphis Grizzlies announced star big man Jaren Jackson Jr. will be sidelined for four-to-six months due to a stress fracture in his foot.

Jackson reportedly underwent a procedure to address the fracture on Wednesday. It is not known how he sustained the fracture.

The injury could cause Jackson to miss the start of the 2022-23 season, which is scheduled to begin in late October, less than four months from now.

Jackson, the fourth overall pick of the 2018 NBA draft, is coming off a season in which he averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and a league-leading 2.3 blocks per game, earning All-Defense first-team honors. He was a key member of a Grizzlies team that finished the regular season with the second-best record in the NBA at 56-26 before losing to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals.

This isn't Jackson's first significant injury. He also tore his meniscus while in the bubble in 2020 and missed much of the 2020-21 season. He signed a four-year, $105 million extension in October.

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