This is certainly how a typical superstar exit starts.
The player in question — in this case Memphis’ Ja Morant — pulls back the curtain on the sordid state of internal affairs.
He expresses frustrations that raise concerns about the relationship with the organization that employs him, and makes his discontent quite clear.
The pressure builds. A deal eventually goes down. Wash, rinse and repeat: That’s the formula in today’s NBA.
Yet before we all go running to John Hollinger’s trade machine to figure out where Morant might be headed next, let’s hit the “back” button for a moment and acknowledge the fact that this isn’t quite as simple as it might seem. For starters, the Grizzlies — like every small market team in the 76-year history of the league — must think long and hard about the prospect of parting ways with a player who is still widely considered to be an elite talent. Add in the fact that they still haven’t finalized a lease agreement for FedEx Forum past the 2028-29 season, with negotiations having been drawn out and the threat of relocation always looming, and you start to understand why this is bigger than just basketball.
Even with all the controversies that have surrounded Morant in recent years, with the steady stream of suspensions and health problems undercutting this once-promising era, he remains a wildly popular and entertaining player who puts butts in their seats. The Grizzlies already ranked near the bottom of the league in home attendance in recent years, but just imagine how grim it might look if they didn’t get a legitimate box office draw in exchange for Morant. That sort of deal just isn’t happening anytime soon, in part because there are no indications that Memphis wants to move him, but also because they’re (extremely) light on leverage at the moment.
It’s one thing to trade Desmond Bane to Orlando at the height of his powers for two rotation players, four unprotected first-round picks and a first-round pick swap, like general manager Zack Kleiman did in June. It’s quite another to give away your most dynamic player during this time when the sharks, i.e. rival teams, are most certainly circling.
Which brings us back to the strategic staring contest at hand.
In the wake of Morant’s “ask the coaching staff” media session on Friday night which led to his one-game suspension by the team, coach Tuomas Iisalo discussed the very offensive system that has caused his point guard (and other Grizzlies as well) so much angst of late.
Tuomas Iisalo: “Basketball is evolving and the demands on the intensity are higher and higher and we are looking to also adapt to the times (…) I think what’s often forgotten is the actual sub pattern… it’s to optimize results in the short, medium and long term.” pic.twitter.com/sWetNWnzcI
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) November 4, 2025
The Finnish coach, who has been celebrated for his innovative success with Paris Basketball, and whose arrival in Memphis as a well-paid assistant two summers ago led to the stunning replacement of longtime head coach Taylor Jenkins in late March, didn’t fully implement his preferred offensive system until this season. He wants pace from beginning to end (the Grizzlies are currently seventh in that department). He wants high intensity from every player during every stretch, all in an attempt to maximize impact and minimize risk. When it comes to his rotations, that means there will be a hectic schedule of sorts — no matter who you are — that is seen as a necessary means to this end.
Quite remarkably, Morant’s minutes mark (29.4 per game) is a career-low pace for him as well as a team high. Eleven players are averaging double-digit minutes — 12 if you count Charles Bassey and his one game. There’s a committee approach happening here that is clearly causing a bit of culture shock.
This all sounds well and good on paper, and perhaps it will be the new norm one day in the Association. But as other international coaches have learned the hard way before, the NBA might as well stand for Nothing-But-Alphas when it comes to the egos that must be managed in times like these. And the problem, it seems, is that Morant is the kind of creative hoops artist who clearly struggles to be himself within this kind of structure.
While the up-tempo approach certainly fits his skill set, the shorter playing stints and rigid routine have led to some of the worst basketball of his career during the early days of this season (the Grizzlies are 3-5). He’s averaging just 20.4 points (his lowest total since his 2020-21 season) while shooting just 39.3 percent overall (career low) and a putrid 13.9 percent from 3 (5-of-36).
No one, in other words, should be surprised that he isn’t feeling all that joyful at work these days.
Ja Morant regarding what happened Friday and the suspension.
On if things have been resolved: “Yeah, they (Tuomas Iisalo) told y’all that right?”
Also says “If I didn’t have a good relationship, I wouldn’t talk to them at all” regarding his relationship with the franchise. pic.twitter.com/BaoNz7gTOp
— Matt Infield (@Matt_Infield) November 4, 2025
Yet while Morant’s decline has been alarming, there’s another strange trend emerging that, at first glance, doesn’t reflect the way these Grizzlies were built: The de-emphasis of their Morant-Jaren Jackson Jr. dynamic duo. In the four seasons together in which Morant and Jackson Jr. have been healthy at the same time, they never averaged fewer than 17.8 minutes per game of time together on the court (with a high of 21.4 last season). Yet through seven games together this time around, they’ve averaged just 15.3 minutes together per game (it’s the Grizzlies’ 12th-most used two-man combo).
To review, that’s the same Morant who signed a five-year, $197 million deal in the summer of 2022 (he is signed through the 2027-28 campaign) and the same Jackson who signed a five-year, $240 million extension in late June. Both are two-time All-Stars, and both — one would think — are even more important than before in light of the losses to core players like Bane and Dillon Brooks in recent years.
As for where this is all headed, it’s worth remembering that Morant is still just 26 years old. At his best, he’s a player who was in the running for “face of the league” honors not too long ago. His baggage has been well chronicled, but there is still no shortage of teams that will continue monitoring his situation.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, per a team source, are one. Ditto for the Sacramento Kings. The Grizzlies’ next opponent, the Houston Rockets, need a point guard after losing Fred Van Vleet to a torn ACL in the preseason but, per a team source, are unlikely to pursue him. That’s just a small sample size of what might be out there, and not out there, if the Morant sweepstakes ever actually begin.
We’re not there yet, though, and may never be. No matter how inevitable it might seem.