Internal strife and public criticism fracture the Grizzlies, pushing star Ja Morant towards trade talks as trust erodes.
Ja Morant’s uneasy relationship with the Memphis Grizzlies appears to have reached a breaking point, placing one of the franchise’s most recognizable stars squarely on the trade block as internal tensions spill into public view.
The Grizzlies are now listening to offers for Ja Morant, according to a report Friday by ESPN, a development that follows months of strain between the former All-Star guard, the coaching staff, and eventually, his own teammates. The report described Morant as feeling alienated within the locker room after a one-game team suspension earlier this season, a situation that hardened into a belief that his future in Memphis had effectively ended.
That suspension stemmed from a November incident tied to Morant’s public criticism of the Grizzlies’ new coaching staff after an Oct. 31 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. What initially surfaced as postgame frustration escalated quickly, drawing internal discipline and exposing deeper fissures inside a team already navigating a transition year.
Following that loss, Morant was asked what went wrong down the stretch. He redirected responsibility toward the bench, an answer that reverberated throughout the organization.
He said, “Go ask the coaching staff.”
Later, when pressed further about his role in the loss, Morant continued in the same vein, suggesting that the staff preferred him off the floor.
“According to them, probably don’t play me, honestly,” Morant said. “That’s basically what the message was after.”
Those remarks prompted pushback from first-year head coach Tuomas Iisalo, who questioned Morant’s leadership and effort in the aftermath, according to ESPN. The exchange led to a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team — a decision that, rather than closing the matter, opened a wider divide.
According to the report, Morant struggled with how the situation was handled internally, particularly the response from teammates who were instructed to give him space while he worked through the discipline. Instead of feeling supported, Morant felt isolated, a dynamic that lingered well beyond the suspension itself. Over time, he shared with players and former coaches around the league that he no longer saw a path forward in Memphis.
On the court, the Grizzlies’ results have only complicated the calculus. Memphis is 16-22 overall, and the team’s split with and without Morant has been stark. In the 18 games Morant has played, the Grizzlies are 6-12 while averaging 117.1 points per game. Without him, they are 10-10 and have averaged 113.6 points, a steadier record that has fueled questions about fit, direction and long-term priorities.
Individually, Morant’s production has dipped from previous seasons. He is averaging 19.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 7.6 assists, his lowest scoring output since his rookie year, while shooting career lows from the field and from three-point range. Those numbers, paired with his recent history of off-court issues — including prior league suspensions for social media videos involving firearms — have clouded his trade value in ways that would have been unthinkable just a few seasons ago.
Financially, any deal would be significant. Morant is owed $42.2 million next season and $44.9 million the year after, figures that require a willing partner prepared to absorb both the salary and the accompanying risk. Around the league, executives are mindful of how quickly market perception can change, particularly after the recent deal involving Trae Young, whose value dipped after an uneven stretch in Atlanta.
For Memphis, the willingness to engage in talks represents a stark acknowledgment that the current trajectory may no longer be sustainable. For Morant, it signals that the franchise where he once embodied hope and swagger may now be preparing for life without him — a stunning possibility that underscores how rapidly fortunes can shift in the NBA.