Ja Morant came back from a one-game suspension for the Grizzlies and dropped 18 points with 10 assists and five rebounds in a nervy 106-114 loss to the Pistons. Following the game, Morant spoke to the media, where he addressed the suspension and its aftermath.
Grizzlies fans would likely not want to hear what he had to say, as Morant admitted he no longer feels joy while playing basketball for the franchise following his suspension.
“Y’all asked that question, y’all know the answer to that,” said Morant when he was asked whether Tuomas Iisalo and he had settled their differences and decided to move on.
It was reported before the game that Iisalo claimed that the two have decided to move on after a reported scuffle led to Morant’s suspension, citing ‘conduct detrimental to the team.’
“No,” said Morant coldly when asked if he feels the same joy playing basketball as he did before, accompanied by a shrug when asked why he isn’t feeling the same joy anymore. The reporter further inquired about what can be done to bring his joy back, to which he coldly responded with a shrug and said, “We’ll see.”
“Obviously, they can’t go and tell y’all something I didn’t say,” said Morant when reporters tried to verify if he had in fact decided to move on.
“If I didn’t have a good relationship, I wouldn’t talk to them at all,” Morant further added when reporters enquired about his relationship with the team.
“Is that your home run question? Sounded like a bait question,” remarked Morant when asked about whether he has any regrets about the way he played against the Lakers on Friday.
Morant was suspended for the game against the Raptors after a horrendous performance against the Lakers. He had a season-low eight points with one rebound and seven assists in that game. The Grizzlies star shot 3-of-14 from the floor and 0-of-6 from the three-point line on Friday night.
The NBA world can clearly see that things are going sideways in Memphis. But before NBA fans jump to conclusions that this marks the end of Ja Morant’s time with the Grizzlies, let’s assess the options that Morant has now.
The first option is demanding a trade. Morant currently has three seasons left on his contract, including this one, before he becomes a free agent. Therefore, he does not have much leverage at this point, considering he is under contract for three more years with the Grizzlies. But if the Grizzlies pick up the phone to make some calls, they would likely get enticing offers for the former No. 2 overall pick.
Hence, he cannot pull the plug on his future with the team and directly demand a trade, which a lot of analysts and experts are predicting, considering how rare it is for a franchise to suspend their superstar.
The last time a team did that, Jimmy Butler was also asked the same question about his joy before he got traded to the Warriors after a controversial final few weeks with the Heat. But the difference in that matter was that things were clearly sour between Butler and the franchise, but here Morant claims everything is alright now.
The second option is to do exactly what Derrick White did with the Celtics. With the rising pressure of keeping up with expectations, White admitted that even he lost the joy for basketball in Boston. However, his teammates helped him bring it back with their camaraderie and friendship.
Considering Morant no longer has his close friend Desmond Bane on the team, it will mainly be on the shoulders of Jaren Jackson Jr. and his other teammates to help him build that joy back with the team. Therefore, if things aren’t really as bad as they seem, then Morant should take this route and continue building his legacy with the Grizzlies.
