Grizzlies silence at the deadline leaves Ja Morant in Memphis, but questions about his future and the team's deeper reset ignite.
The Memphis Grizzlies reached the NBA trade deadline having already made their loudest statement days earlier, and Ja Morant was not part of it.
Memphis’ decision to move former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz signaled a franchise pivot toward a broader reset, even though Jackson had been signed to a five-year, $240 million extension less than a year ago. By the time Thursday’s deadline passed, that move stood in sharper contrast to what did not happen: Morant remained on the roster.
For nearly a month, the Grizzlies explored the market for the two-time All-Star point guard. Those talks ultimately stalled, leaving Memphis unable to find a trade partner willing to return meaningful value for a player who still has two seasons and more than $87 million left on his contract after this year.
The outcome leaves Morant, 26, tied to a franchise he helped lift to some of the most successful seasons in its history, while also reopening unresolved questions about his place in its future. His seven-year tenure has been marked by spectacular individual highs, repeated injuries and a growing strain between player and organization.
That tension has surfaced repeatedly this season. Morant received a one-game suspension earlier in the year following a public clash with head coach Tuomas Iisalo, an episode that underscored internal friction that had largely remained behind closed doors.
The dynamic became more visible during Memphis’ overseas trip to Berlin and London. During an open practice, reporters captured a heated exchange between Morant, who was sidelined with a calf injury at the time, and guard Vince Williams. The video circulated widely and added to the sense of a fractured locker room. Williams was later traded to Utah as part of the Jackson deal.
When Morant returned to action and starred in the second game of the London trip, he addressed speculation about his future directly.
The comments came at a moment when trade rumors were intensifying and the direction of the franchise was increasingly uncertain.
“If anybody in here knows me, I’m a very loyal guy,” Morant said.
“I got a logo on my back, so that should tell you exactly where I want to be.”
Loyalty has been difficult to sustain amid limited availability. Since the start of the 2023–24 season, Morant has appeared in 77 games and missed 126. He has played in just 20 games this season and has not strung together more than six consecutive appearances since the 2022–23 campaign. Along with recurring injuries, Morant missed 33 games across the previous two seasons due to suspensions stemming from repeated incidents involving firearms on social media.
The time away has coincided with a dip in production. Morant is averaging 19.5 points per game, his lowest scoring mark since his second season, while shooting a career-low 41.0 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from three-point range. Though flashes of his trademark explosiveness remain, they have not come consistently.
Memphis enters the post-deadline stretch at 20–29, technically still within reach of the Play-In Tournament. The loss of Jackson, however, sharply undercuts those hopes, and Morant has not played since Jan. 21. With Jackson and former backcourt partner Desmond Bane no longer on the roster, the Grizzlies’ competitive timeline has shifted.
There are young pieces in place, including rookie forward Cedric Coward and second-year center Zach Edey, who has been limited to 11 games by injury. Still, the road back to contention appears long.
The trade deadline passed without resolution on Morant, but the silence may prove temporary as Memphis continues to redefine itself.