With the Trae Young saga in Atlanta reaching its end, all eyes now turn to Ja Morant, who’s had a troubled relationship with the Memphis Grizzlies for quite some time. On Friday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Grizzlies are now weighing their options to trade away the former Rookie of the Year.
Shortly after Charania tweeted this development, an additional ESPN report shed light on Morant’s mindset after serving a one-game suspension back in November.
League sources told ESPN’s Michael C. Wright that Morant still hasn’t gotten over the suspension because he felt alienated by teammates, who were told to leave the star guard alone so he could work through the issues that led to the suspension.
Ja Morant had been suspended after reportedly clashing with head coach Tuomas Iisalo, who called out his leadership in front of his teammates following a 117-112 loss to the LA Lakers. During this verbal altercation, Morant was said to have “responded in a tone deemed inappropriate and dismissive.”
As intriguing as Morant is, thanks to seven seasons of athletic displays and steady production on offense, teams might be wary of the decline in his stats. This season, Morant is putting up career lows in scoring (19.0 points per game), field goal percentage (40.1% from the field), and rebounding (3.2 boards per outing).
Though Ja Morant’s eventual landing spot remains a question mark at this point, his departure from Memphis is all but settled. Given the reports about his strained relationship with his teammates and coaches, it appears to be a matter of when (not if) he gets traded to another team.
Ja Morant Trade Rumors: Heat, Timberwolves, Kings Targeting 2x All-Star As Memphis Fields Offers
On the same day that Charania reported the Grizzlies’ plans to shop Morant, another report from NBA insider Brett Siegel identified three teams eyeing the two-time All-Star’s services.
Morant is expected to generate interest around the league over the next three weeks, leading up to the NBA trade deadline, with the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Miami Heat being teams that have previously expressed interest in the Grizzlies’ star guard.
All three teams would benefit from the acquisition of Ja Morant, though they’ll certainly take a long, hard look at his history of injuries and off-court controversies.
