Ja Morant was once viewed as untouchable in trade talks by the Memphis Grizzlies, but that doesn’t appear to be the case anymore. The Grizzlies are reportedly listening to trade offers for Morant, and The Athletic’s John Hollinger explains why they are now more open than ever before to part with the guard.
“Morant’s availability and behavior in Memphis have been problems, but the other issue that led Memphis to this point is that even with him, the team has still lost ground in the Western Conference hierarchy in recent years. Even after hiring a coach who would implement the pick-and-roll-heavy system Morant wanted, the Grizzlies’ guard still earned a suspension after clashing with new coach Tuomas Iisalo, and the Grizzlies struggled mightily out of the gate.”
Morant had caused the Grizzlies a fair few headaches in recent years. He had flashed a gun on Instagram Live on two separate occasions in 2023, and that led to two suspensions from the NBA. The second one lasted for 25 games.
Morant also found himself in legal trouble after being accused of punching a 17-year-old. As is the case with most NBA teams, the Grizzlies were willing to deal with all the drama as long as they felt the player gave them a chance to compete for a championship. They no longer believe that to be the case.
The Grizzlies have won 50+ games in a season on multiple occasions in the Morant era, but postseason success has been hard to come by. They have won just one playoff series since they selected him with the second pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
The Grizzlies faced off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs last season and got swept. Morant suffered a hip injury in Game 3 that would lead to him missing Game 4, and his inability to stay upright is another big reason why he might get shipped out.
“Further, the Grizzlies determined that Morant was too unreliable — he still hasn’t played in more than six consecutive games since March of 2023 — to be the centerpiece of such a team. That thinking fueled the Desmond Bane trade, even though it was an opportunistic move; there’s just no way an Eastern Conference team in that situation would make the same choice.”
Morant played in just 50 games last season and has featured in 18 out of 38 so far in this one. You don’t have much hope of competing in a brutal Western Conference if your big star is missing so much time.
Thanks, in part, to Morant missing time, the Grizzlies are currently 10th in the West with a 16-22 record. As if his being on the sidelines so often wasn’t bad enough, the two-time All-Star had also fired shots at the Grizzlies’ coaching staff earlier in the season after a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. As Hollinger mentioned, he received a one-game suspension for it.
You get to a point where a player just isn’t worth the potential headaches he might cause. Morant’s play on the court has declined, too. The 26-year-old is averaging 19.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game in 2025-26. This isn’t the same player who was on the fringes of the MVP conversation after putting up 27.4 points per game in 2021-22.
Hollinger thinks there is a decent chance that Morant has already played his final game for the Grizzlies. He is currently out with a right calf contusion and won’t be playing in their next game against the Brooklyn Nets at FedExForum on Sunday at 3:30 PM ET.
