Former Memphis Grizzlies second overall pick Ja Morant has once again found himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Just a couple of weeks into the 2025-26 NBA season, the Grizzlies found themselves in shambles with one of the most disjointed cores in all of basketball. Nobody has faced more blame for their poor performances than the franchise’s superstar player, Morant. The Murray State product was once a promising young guard who looked to carry Memphis into a new era after the departures of former all-stars Marc Gasol and Mike Conley. Now it seems that he’s created more issues for the franchise than actual success on the court.
Morant was, and still is, an unbelievable talent; with alien-like athleticism, he became a player kids idolized as the second coming of Derrick Rose. Since entering the league in 2019, there hasn’t been a more polarizing player than Morant. He brought a type of swag to the Grizzlies that fans would come to love, turning him into an icon for the city of Memphis in a matter of years.
It wasn’t until 2023 — when Morant was caught flashing a gun on an Instagram livestream — that his relationship with the league grew unstable. Despite the NBA suspending Morant for this act, only a couple of months later, he yet again flashed a gun on an Instagram livestream and was suspended again, this time by the Grizzlies. At the time, Memphis was winning games and securing playoff spots, while fans and media alike swept Morant’s immature acts to the side due to the team’s success. Fast forward to this season, the Grizzlies are sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference and Morant is playing some of the worst basketball of his career.
After a loss on Halloween night against the Los Angeles Lakers, Morant finished with just eight points on 3/14 shooting, displaying an obvious lack of effort on numerous occasions. The former all-star looked disengaged, seemingly frustrated with his team, the coaching staff and himself. Morant is posting career lows across the board, including shooting a dreadful 13 per cent from three-point range, a shot that has already been his weakness throughout his career.
After the game against the Lakers, Morant “spoke” to the media, expressing his frustration in an interview that quickly went viral, sending fans into a frenzy and leaving them wondering what the hell was going on in Memphis. Despite different questions from reporters surrounding his playing time, effort and more, the Grizzlies star stuck with the same answer: “ask the coaching staff.” A clearly ticked-off Morant was then asked what the coaches could have done differently that night, to which he responded with “according to them, probably don’t play me.”
The NBA world was set ablaze just moments after this interview was released, with players and analysts chiming in on what had happened, including long-time player Jamal Crawford. The former sixth man of the year would express his displeasure with Morant on how he handled the situation:
“This could be a moment where he could show a whole new generation how to handle things when it’s not comfortable.”
Just hours later, Morant received a one-game suspension by the Grizzlies for “conduct detrimental to the team.” In a meeting, Morant responded to Head Coach Tuomas Iisalo in a “tone deemed inappropriate.” Per Shams Charania.
Not only is Morant’s relationship with his team in question, but this is his third suspension as a member of the organization.
A few days later, Morant would talk to the media again, discussing his suspension and stance on his position in Memphis. One reporter asked if he still had the same joy playing basketball, to which the Grizzlies star responded with a cold “no.” Similar to his discussion with the media before, he seemed annoyed by reporters and questioned the authenticity of their questions, believing they already knew the answers: “[the Grizzlies’ coaching staff] told y’all that, right?”
Just last year, Head Coach Taylor Jenkins was fired from his role after Morant was reportedly fed up with how the team’s offence was structured. This came after years of praise towards Jenkins, who remained one of the most respected coaches in basketball for his part in the rejuvenation of the franchise. Since the 2021-22 season, Morant’s points per game in the paint amongst point guards have steadily decreased, going from first (2021-22) to dead last (2025-26). Morant lives around the basket, and if Jenkins was designing his offence around Morant as a more perimeter-centric player, it’s evident why these numbers dropped. After all, teams live with him shooting outside shots, as he’s too deadly a player if he gets in the paint to either dunk on an opposing centre or make a pass to a corner shooter. Now, with a new coach, it’s only taken a handful of games for turmoil to begin within the team.
Just days after the situation unfolded, basketball media have done what they always do best: make mock trade scenarios for disgruntled stars. It may be an overreaction, but a mid-season Ja Morant trade almost feels inevitable. After years of falling short, the Grizzlies have yet to be able to develop a championship-level roster around Morant. As a 26-year-old who should be entering his prime, there would be no better time to trade a player whose value seems to be decreasing as the days go by. If Memphis keeps prolonging a potential move for Morant, his already abysmal season could get worse, leaving the team with either no buyers or deals with subpar returns. On the bright side for the Grizzlies, his lack of performance on the court seems to be attributed to his disengagement with the franchise. Historically, a change of scenery has proven to revamp a player’s career. Teams looking to acquire Morant could still offer a solid return, assuming his play improves, by joining a new team.
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If things continue the way they are, don’t be surprised to see a shakeup of the roster by the end of the calendar year. This could be the nail in the coffin for Morant, as his immaturity looks to have finally caught up to him. The vibes in Memphis are at an all-time low.