Ja Morant’s career has seemingly become an unfortunate cautionary tale thus far. It isn’t a lost cause by any stretch, but what’s required to revive it needs his humility and maturation. The former All-Star was suspended for one game last weekend for what was deemed as “conduct detrimental to the team.” What was then revealed was that there was a heated exchange between Morant and head coach Tuomas Iisalo that resulted in Morant going too far with what he said. This was on the heels of a loss to the Lakers in which Morant was visibly disengaged in the play on the court.
A checkered tenure
The Memphis Grizzlies’ franchise player has been trouble for the team in recent years. There’s no getting around it. On the court, he has had issues with staying healthy as he tends to get hurt often. Off the court, he has had several instances in which he was reprimanded for brandishing firearms irresponsibly. His father, Tee Morant, is present at most games that his son plays. He has had his own moments getting into it with notable attendees such as Shannon Sharpe. All of these sorts of shenanigans don’t shed a welcoming light on the Grizzlies organization.
Over the past three seasons at least, the story about the Memphis Grizzlies has largely been about how well they can do without Morant. That in no way can excite their fanbase, as competitive as the teams’ other players are. This sentiment is compounded when you have Morant out on the court recently, giving such unmotivated effort. It’s a slap in the face to his coaching staff and his teammates, and he seemingly doesn’t feel culpable for the negative coverage that can receive.
Should he stay, or should he go?
So the Grizzlies are nearing a fork in the road that they cannot ignore. Should the Grizzlies seek to trade Morant? My answer is yes. However, I’m not confident as of right now that there’s a strong market for his talents throughout the league. The other 29 teams in the league don’t really know the player that they’re getting anymore. It’s beginning to feel like the star’s best years are already behind him. His shooting percentages don’t jump off the page, his three-point percentage can stand to improve, and he’s often injured. That’s not really the blockbuster “Woj bomb” cocktail for making a great trade transaction.
What’s more likely to me is that things will remain touch-and-go in Memphis until the trade deadline in February. At that point, teams have settled in, and they’ll be clearer on how players fit. In a perfect world, there’s a mutually beneficial scenario in which Morant can leave and get a fresh start. But his future greatness still depends on him. There’s going to come a time when there will be no one that Morant can blame anymore but himself. You can never outrun immaturity. It just sucks that his lessons have to be learned on the world’s stage. But a foundation should’ve been laid at home to help prepare him to be someone who can take critique constructively. If he doesn’t straighten up, he’ll end up like Uncle Junior from The Jamie Foxx Show once said, “you’re gonna find yourself, by yourself.”