The Memphis Grizzlies believed Ja Morant‘s reaction to the media was inappropriate; therefore, they punished the star for one game. Reporters wanted to know what happened with Morant and the Grizzlies after they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 117–112. He only scored eight points in his thirty minutes of play and was mostly inactive. As a result, he advised reporters to inquire with the coaching staff.
Following these events, there have been rumors of a potential trade centered around the point guard. Many believe that it’s only a matter of time until the franchise decides to trade Morant. There have also been reports that several teams are monitoring the situation in Memphis.
Former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins took the time to address what’s going on within the Grizzlies’ organization. According to Cousins, the franchise has given up on Morant after siding with the staff.
Cousins talked about Morant’s case on Monday’s episode of FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back.”
“It’s time to move on. This ship has sailed. I think the Grizzlies have made their decision on who they’re siding with when they decided to suspend Ja Morant. Obviously, they’re siding with this coaching staff.”
“This was a coaching staff that was brought in with a militant style of coaching. Doesn’t blend well with everybody. Doesn’t blend well with modern-day basketball. That’s something that’s, you know, embraced overseas in the European League.”
. @BoogieCousins calls for Ja Morant to get out of Memphis 👀
"It's time to move on. This ship has sailed. The Grizzlies have made their decision on who they're siding with when they suspended Ja. … Militant coaching combined with modern basketball is a recipe for disaster." pic.twitter.com/zzfnKL0px5
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) November 3, 2025
“They like the military style because they also lack talent, where we don’t. So they have to be more fundamental. They have to be well-coached to cover up in those other areas. So this style of coaching combined with this modern-day basketball is a recipe for disaster, and they’ve shown it.”
Grizzlies’ head coach was discreet when asked about Ja Morant
There are unanswered questions regarding Ja Morant and his case with the Memphis Grizzlies. Ahead of the team’s contest with the Detroit Pistons on Monday, Morant was the topic that the media wanted to tackle. They were curious to know if the situation had been resolved internally.
However, head coach Tuomas Iisalo declined to give an elaborate comment on the situation.
“All those discussions are internal matters,” Iisalo said. “We’re focused on beating the Pistons tonight.”
The coaching staff also confirmed that Morant will return to the lineup against the Pistons. He finished the one-game suspension issued by the team.
The two-time All-Star has appeared in six games, averaging 20.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
