Awards, contracts could affect Jaren Jackson Jr.'s return

The Grizzlies diagnosed Jackson with a Grade 2 sprain of his left ankle, which means the ligaments in his ankle are partially torn. According to injury expert Jeff Stotts, the average recovery time for a Grade 2 sprain is around three weeks.

A three-week absence would see Jackson returning to the Grizzlies for the final 10 games of the season, though all players heal differently. Why it matters, beyond the Grizzlies' playoff push, is that Jackson needs to play six more games to qualify for the Defensive Player of the Year award. If he does win DPOY, Jackson becomes eligible for a $345M supermax extension this summer.

That gives Jackson a huge incentive to rush back from his injury, perhaps before he's completely healed. Last summer, Tyrese Haliburton rushed back from a hamstring injury out of concern he wouldn't play 65 games and qualify for All-NBA teams — and a $40M raise. He ended up playing 69 games and getting that raise, but his injuries persisted and his numbers dropped.

The Grizzlies would likely prioritize having Jackson healthy for the playoffs, though their recent four-game losing streak has put their chances at home-court advantage for the first round in jeopardy. They'd definitely prefer not to pay Jackson $345M if they can help it.

Perhaps Jackson will recover quickly and the money at stake will be a moot point. Perhaps Cleveland's Evan Mobley will emerge as the DPOY favorite anyway.

Still, the NBA's collective bargaining agreement clearly has problems when players have to choose between maxing out their earnings and preserving their physical health. For Jackson, it's a very expensive choice.