It’s July 2022, two months after the upstart Ja Morant-led Memphis Grizzlies pushed the NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the second round of the playoffs.
Morant, just 22, inks a new deal worth close to $200 million. The future face of the Grizzlies is locked in. The future face of basketball is on a rocketing ascent. Memphis is ready to become a force in a daunting Western Conference still being controlled by the NBA’s most recent dynasty. No. 12 jerseys are everywhere. Highlights of eye-popping, “Ja-breaking,” dunks cluttered social media.
Four years later, everything has changed.
Morant is coming off another turbulent season — and worse, he had his worst statistical campaign.
Though it has felt like the Morant era in Memphis had been losing its velocity for years, things have officially bottomed out.
According to a new report today, Morant, once viewed as the savior of a struggling franchise, is done with the Grizzlies.
Ja Morant News Signals Trouble for His NBA Future
For the second time in three years, the Grizzlies are lottery-destined. At midseason, the franchise revealed the direction of the future by trading former cornerstone Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz in exchange for a haul of assets. Months earlier, in the 2025 offseason, Memphis dealt Desmond Bane, another once promising piece, in a trade to the Orlando Magic.
That left eyes squarely on Morant, with many believing his name was to be called next. The February trade deadline came and went with Morant still a Grizzly, but there were rampant reports the Grizzlies front office made an effort to move on from Morant. Ultimately, trade discussions with other teams fizzled.
Morant sustained a UCL sprain this season, keeping him sidelined from January onward as doubt about his future grew. Now there is no longer much to speculate.
Morant’s days are numbered in Memphis.
But what’s perhaps even worse is what might await Morant ahead.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Sacramento Kings — the same team investigated during the season for tanking — showed interest in acquiring Morant in February. Though no deal panned out then, the Kings will look to try again if they are unable to select a guard in this year’s NBA Draft.
“The star-starved Sacramento Kings even asked the Grizzlies to “incentivize” the deal by including first-round draft compensation with Morant, sources said,” MacMahon wrote on ESPN.com “That quickly ended those talks between the teams. Sources familiar with the Kings’ thinking say that Sacramento could circle back to Morant if it does not land a lead guard with its lottery pick in the draft.”
Even if the Grizzlies intend to look elsewhere for a potential Morant trade partner, there’s no guarantee those conversations will yield them anything desirable, according to MacMahon.
“Several executives from other teams polled by ESPN believe the Grizzlies should have better luck finding a destination for Morant this summer, with the caveat that Memphis shouldn’t expect to get much value in return,” MacMahon wrote.
Both Sides are Ready to Move on
According to MacMahon, the Grizzlies, as recently as last season, tried their best to continue building for the future with Morant as the centerpiece.
The dismissal of head coach Taylor Jenkins was a move rooted in better serving Morant’s playstyle. The Grizzlies hired Tuomas Iisalo believing his scheming and concepts would cater to Morant’s attack-first approach on the court.
However, MacMahon reports that Morant and Iisalo have had run-ins that ended in Morant responding “condescendingly.” Earlier this season, Memphis even suspended the 26-year-old guard after he was involved in a locker room incident with Iisalo in a power move of support for the head coach over the star player. Clearly, the Grizzlies had chosen a side.
According to MacMahon, Morant has still not gotten past the suspension.
And if that is the case, it is hard to believe the Grizzlies haven’t at least mentally checked out on Morant.
Memphis’ season is over. It now feels like only a matter of time before Morant is moved.
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