Oh boy, he's at it again. Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is in hot water, this time for his poor play and subsequent comments after Memphis' game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Morant was widely criticized for his low-effort play and embarrassingly bad performance. He scored just 8 points on 14 shots, helping cost the Grizzlies a winnable home game against the Lakers.
He followed that nonsense up by taking a shot at coach Tuomas Lisalo, which led to him being suspended one game by the Grizzlies. Something tells me that Morant is going to react rationally to being suspended. Right? Maybe I'm being too optimistic.
Multiple Grizzlies players have said Tuomas Iisalo is one of the most direct and frank coaches they’ve ever had.
— Matt Infield (@Matt_Infield) November 1, 2025
Me thinks there was a disagreement during the game, Ja got mad, and then Iisalo called him out in front of the team afterwards. Hence, Ja’s comments.
More likely, it may reinforce the idea that the Grizzlies should trade Morant, who is looking less like a franchise player by the day. It wasn't that long ago that he was the toast of the NBA and looking like a superstar.
That isn't the case anymore, however. He has been on a slow downward spiral, going from averaging 27.4 points per game in 2021-22 as well as making the All-Star and All-NBA teams and winning Most Improved Player of the Year to 20.8 points per game this season.
Ja forced them to change a system that led to the best team offense they'd ever had because it didn't suit HIS very rigid style.
— Carson Breber (@Carsobi) November 1, 2025
They reverted to a Ja-heavy pnr attack and went 11-17 down the stretch. Fired Jenkins & are now 7-12 under Iisalo.
It's just not gonna work with him. https://t.co/uqE3x3u2YV
Concerning trend for Ja Morant: https://t.co/ThKJVu8Mxc pic.twitter.com/3LgJh65W3m
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) November 1, 2025
In fact, his scoring has dropped year over year over the last five seasons. And with him no longer the springy 22-year-old player but instead a controversial 26-year-old, his appeal is waning fast.
The Memphis Grizzlies must sell (relatively) high on Ja Morant
Trading Morant for equal value probably won't happen. Look, everyone knows how talented he is, but if he is playing like trash, then his trade value will also be in the dumps.
The best-case scenario is that the Grizzlies make him available to teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, and New Orleans Pelicans, and they make a run at him.
Each team has a decent number of assets and should be able to put together a reasonable to good trade package that might appeal to the Grizzlies. That would give them an off-ramp, allowing them to start their retooling around Jaren Jackson Jr.
That might take years, but it seems clear that the Grizzlies don't have enough this year to contend. They aren't beating the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, or Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs.
Heck, they probably wouldn't even beat the upstart San Antonio Spurs. As a result, they should take the opportunity to move Morant and try to build something better in the near future without him.
All told, the Grizzlies were right to suspend Morant after his outrageously poor play and poor conduct. With him seemingly checked out on the Grizzlies, they should try to sell relatively high on Morant by looking to trade him now before things go from bad to worse.