Ja Morant‘s future with the Memphis Grizzlies is in question after a series of events that happened over the past week. On Friday, Morant was on the floor for 30 minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers, but was passive and finished with eight points. After the game, he was asked by the media about what happened to him on the floor. But the two-time All-Star told reporters to ask the coaching staff about what happened.
Following that, the Grizzlies suspended Morant for one game. The management reportedly felt the top guard’s remarks about the coaching staff were improper. On Monday, he returned to the lineup and played 34 minutes against the Detroit Pistons. While many people thought it was over, the Memphis star told the media that he had lost his joy playing for the franchise.
This sparked numerous trade rumors around the former Murray State guard. Many believe that Morant’s time with the Grizzlies is close to being over.
According to Jason Anderson of “The Sacramento Bee,” the Sacramento Kings are linked to Ja Morant. Anderson reported that the Kings had no interest in the athletic guard initially. However, the Western Conference franchise has started to monitor the situation amid the drama between Morant and the Grizzlies.
“According to a league source, the Kings have yet to engage the Grizzlies in trade talks in light of the latest developments in Memphis, but that could change. Perry, an experienced NBA executive who has been a part of roster transformations in Detroit, Orlando and New York, will most certainly monitor all situations involving high-end talent, including Morant’s future in Memphis,” Anderson wrote.
Morant hasn’t officially asked for a trade. But given the recent events, his time with Memphis could soon end.
Various NBA executives get real about Ja Morant
With the things going around Ja Morant and the Grizzlies, there’s a question as to which teams are interested in trading for him. According to NBA insider Marc Spears, there are a few anonymous executives who aren’t interested in trading for the star guard.
“Four of the execs that I talked to today said they really had no interest in trading for him, one said it was because of a combo of contract and off the court issues,” Spears said. “Another suggested that if Ja is traded he’ll probably be a problem star for a problem star.”
“Couple of them also said that you need the right coaching staff to have such a mercurial star as him, and I asked one current NBA coach if he would like to coach Ja Morant, and he said ‘I’m not sure I’d want to.’”
With the problems that he has caused off the court in the past, other teams aren’t confident in trading for him.
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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.
