Last Friday, the Memphis Grizzlies fired head coach Taylor Jenkins in a shocking move. During his tenure in Memphis, Jenkins was incredibly successful, leading a young Grizzlies squad to three playoff trips. Meanwhile, he was responsible for developing Ja Morant into one of the NBA's brightest stars.
The Memphis front office decided to move on from Jenkins last week due to a rift over the offensive scheme. The rift began when the Grizzlies hired Tuomas Iisola as an assistant coach this summer to modernize their offense.
While Iisola's scheme was in place until the All-Star break, the Grizzlies were rolling with one of the league's best offenses and boasting the second seed in a stacked Western Conference. Importantly, Iisola's scheme relied heavily on off-ball movement and scoring by committee.
Morant, who had grown accustomed to and comfortable with Jenkins' system that revolved around high ball-screens, was contemptuous of his lessened role and decreased production.
When Jenkins took back the reigns and let Morant play in the old scheme, his numbers soared, but the Grizzlies fell to 8-11 after the All-Star Break. Thus, the Grizzlies made a clean break from Jenkins, ultimately sending the message that Morant will not dictate their scheme and consequently drag the team down.
ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins predicts Ja Morant may demand a trade
Now, Morant's future in Memphis is uncertain. If Morant is willing to fall in line with Iisola's system and sacrifice his stats for team success, then Memphis will be more than happy to keep him. However, if he doesn't change his tune, there could be an off-season trade looming. Tim McMahon for ESPN summed up the firing, as well as Morant's uncertain future earlier this week:
.@espn_macmahon questions if the Grizzlies should continue to build their roster around Ja Morant 👀 pic.twitter.com/wzvjDcZipQ
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 28, 2025
If Morant and the Grizzlies can't reconcile their differences before the end of their 2024-2025 campaign, he will likely be shopped on the trade market. As one of the most exciting and promising guards in the game, Memphis could garner a huge trade market for the franchise player.
Not to mention, it would be in their best interest to trade him this summer, as continued contempt and regression in the new offensive scheme would tank his trade value.
With many teams in the market for a dynamic guard this summer, the Grizzlies will likely have a variety of packages to negotiate. Importantly, the Grizzlies would be looking for win-now players who fit their new system -- this could be a combination of pass-first, unselfish guards or reliable off-ball scoring wings.
Teams like the Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, and New Orleans Pelicans could all offer the Grizzlies the type of players they are looking for without sacrificing too much talent. For example, a trade with Brooklyn revolving around sending Cam Thomas and Cameron Johnson to Memphis in return for Ja Morant would satisfy the needs of both franchises. Alternatively, a Morant and Suggs swap with Orlando could be in the cards.
What's next for Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies?
Front offices around the league will undoubtedly be monitoring Morant's future with Memphis. If he does become available, they will be eager to pounce at acquiring one of the best guard talents in the league. However, if tensions settle between Morant and the Grizzlies front office, he could remain a cornerstone of one of the NBA's budding rosters.
What remains clear is that the Grizzlies front office is prioritizing long-term success and cohesion over Morant's superstar preferences. Whether that gamble pays off or costs them a generational talent will be a storyline to watch not only this off-season, but for years to come.