Memphis Grizzlies' GG Jackson suffers right foot injury that will need surgery
The Memphis Grizzlies are a month away from opening preseason camp, and the injury bug is already biting.
Grizzlies forward GG Jackson suffered a right foot injury earlier this week. The injury will require surgery and delay his start to the 2024-25 season.
"While playing basketball outside of Dallas on Aug. 27, after attempting a contested layup, Jackson II experienced an unstable landing on his right foot," the Grizzlies said in a statement. "Subsequent imaging revealed a broken fifth metatarsal in his right foot, which will require surgery to repair."
Jackson was named to the second-team all-rookie squad after a standout debut campaign. He averaged 14.6 points in 48 games and served as one of the few bright spots during a 27-55 Grizzlies season that was filled with injuries.
Foot injuries are not foreign to key Grizzlies players. Jaren Jackson Jr. missed missed the start of the 2022-23 season with a stress fracture in his right foot. He was given a timeline of four to six months in June before returning on Nov. 15.
In 2017, former Grizzlies guard Ben McLemore suffered a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot and was given a timeline of three months to return. He returned on Nov. 11 after being injured in August.
The Grizzlies have an open roster spot if they choose to add a player for depth, but there are internal options who can help Memphis get through the early part of the season without the dynamic 19-year old. Vince Williams Jr., Marcus Smart and John Konchar are most likely in line to receive minutes at small forward. Desmond Bane and Jake LaRavia could factor in, too.
At power forward, the Grizzlies will have Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama capable of handling most of those minutes.
Memphis will open training camp Oct. 1 in Nashville before beginning preseason action Oct. 7 versus the Dallas Mavericks.
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Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies' GG Jackson suffers right foot injury
