It came as no surprise to anyone watching the Memphis Grizzlies that they were finally forced to suspend star Ja Morant. Morant was called out for his awful play in the Grizzlies' recent game against the Los Angeles Lakers, going just 3-14 from the field and scoring only 8 points.
He also wasn't engaged during timeouts, standing away from teammates and the coaching staff while the Grizzlies were strategizing about how to win a still-close game.
Morant followed up that disaster class by seemingly taking a shot at coach Tuomas Lisalo after the game. That left the Grizzlies with no choice but to suspend him for one game and confirms that he has officially checked out on the team.
The Memphis Grizzlies were justified in suspending Ja Morant
The Grizzlies are left with little choice but to trade Morant. Let what he did slide, and they look like pushovers and like they condone Morant's behavior. No way, no how. Suspending him for one game is a slap on the wrist, but it's something, something meant to check him on his behavior.
It may or may not work, but it's worth trying. Perhaps Morant takes the anger he might feel and takes it out on the other team, getting both him and the Grizzlies fired up. Or, maybe he's too far gone, and it only reinforces to him that he doesn't have a future in Memphis. Perhaps that is for the best for both sides.
Morant clearly doesn't want to be there, and the Grizzlies finally have an out to trade him, with fans likely turning on him.
The Grizzlies must trade Ja Morant ASAP
At one point, it seemed as though the Grizzlies were going to be the toast of the NBA with a 22-year-old emerging superstar, Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, and plenty of picks. That only goes to show how quickly things have changed.
Jackson Jr. is now the best player on the team, Bane was traded during the summer, and Morant is on pace to see his scoring drop for the fifth straight season. They still have plenty of picks, but they aren't a championship-caliber team, and there is even some question whether they can make the playoffs.
If they aren't even a playoff team with Morant, then what are they even doing? The answer should be to put him on the trade block and see if they can get a team desperate for a star and a "We can fix him" mentality to bite.
The problem is that they probably aren't going to get a player near Morant's talent level. Holding out for the perfect trade package would be a mistake because that probably won't ever happen.
Instead, if a team offers up a starter, a rotation player, and a couple of firsts, then the Grizzlies should shuttle him to the airport and be happy to move on. Barring that, they may be stuck with him and his antics.