Isaiah Jackson

Jackson is an American center who entered the NBA as the 22nd overall pick in the 2021 draft, traded from the Lakers to the Indiana Pacers on draft night. He spent four seasons in Indiana before a February 2026 trade moved him to the Los Angeles Clippers. His college tenure at Kentucky lasted a single year and featured SEC defensive honors.

Born on January 10, 2002, Jackson attended Lutheran Northwest High School in Rochester Hills, Michigan, as a freshman before moving to Old Redford Academy in Detroit for his sophomore season. He transferred to SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio, for his junior year, where he averaged 14.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game alongside LaMelo Ball and Rocket Watts. For his senior season, he moved to Waterford Mott High School in Waterford, Michigan, and averaged 19.1 points, 13 rebounds, and 7.7 blocks per game, earning a spot on the Jordan Brand Classic roster. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals, he committed to Kentucky over Alabama and Syracuse.

As a Kentucky freshman, Jackson averaged 8.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and an SEC-high 2.6 blocks per game, earning SEC All-Defensive and All-Freshman Team honors. On December 1, 2020, he recorded a career-high eight blocks against Kansas, the most by a Kentucky player since Willie Cauley-Stein in 2013. He declared for the 2021 NBA draft on March 17, 2021, and later signed with an agent to forgo his remaining eligibility.

The Los Angeles Lakers selected Jackson with the 22nd pick and traded him to the Pacers. He made his NBA debut on October 23, 2021, scoring one point in two minutes against the Miami Heat. As a rookie, he averaged 8.3 points and 4.1 rebounds across 36 appearances, including 15 starts. He logged a career-high 26 points on January 31, 2022, against the Clippers. In 2022–23, he averaged 7.2 points and 4.5 rebounds over 63 games, and in 2023–24 he posted 6.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 59 appearances.

On November 1, 2024, Jackson tore his Achilles tendon against the New Orleans Pelicans, ending his season after just five games. He re-signed with Indiana on a three-year, $21 million contract on July 11, 2025, and in 2025–26 averaged 6.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in 38 appearances before the Pacers traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers on February 5, 2026, alongside Bennedict Mathurin and multiple draft picks for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown.

Jackson is a shot-blocking center with a compact build and active hands around the rim. At Kentucky, he led the SEC in blocks as a freshman and translated that defensive activity to the NBA. He contributes as a backup big man capable of finishing inside, rebounding, and protecting the paint in limited minutes.

Jackson was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in February 2026. His recovery from the November 2024 Achilles tear and subsequent return to the floor demonstrated physical resilience before the midseason move to Los Angeles.