Memphis is not willing to consider Ja Morant trades unless it’s a no-brainer (which no one is calling with), according to sources. They want to make this work. Morant may have to force the issue if there is to be a trade. FanSided | Nov. 18, 2025

Zach Lowe: “I will say with Ja — teams that are watching him, and I talked to one of them over the weekend — they’re throwing his current level of play into the trash. They’re saying, ‘This looks to us like a guy who wants out.’ And they’re going to judge him more by his long-term track record — whatever that even is at this point, given his games played issues over the last few years — than by what they’re seeing right now.” “But, I mean… he’s averaging 18 a game, shooting 36% from the field, 17% from three, and just looks disengaged for half of every game on both ends of the floor.” YouTube | Nov. 18, 2025

Michael Scotto: Ja Morant will be re-evaluated in two weeks after suffering a Grade 1 right calf strain, Grizzlies say. Twitter @MikeAScotto | Nov. 17, 2025

Isaiah Thomas on Ja Morant: For a young team that’s supposedly exciting and it got a lot for the future, these things shouldn’t be happening. This is something that happens on losing situation teams, not something that happens on a team with a superstar player like Ja Morant. YouTube | Nov. 16, 2025

Isaiah Thomas on Ja Morant: You can’t get suspended. You can’t get suspended, especially early on in the season. You got to be a better leader and a better example of what leadership is. So, I mean, I think he’s going to continue to learn. I don’t think this is the last time they get into it, but it got to be better on both sides for sure. YouTube | Nov. 16, 2025

Tim Bontemps: Grizzlies say Ja Morant is out for the rest of the game today in Cleveland with calf soreness x.com | Nov. 15, 2025

Eddie Johnson: Now, of course, it would be easy to point to Morant’s past transgressions and say he should just acquiesce to the coach’s wishes. I agree there is a time and place for how you approach the situation, and Ja might not be the best at being politically correct, but in this instance, I understand how he feels. Hockey-type substitutions are challenging, especially for superstars. When Iisalo was asked about his philosophy, he said this: 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.” If he said that in the Grizzlies locker room, I can imagine the players looking at each other and wondering, What does that mean? HoopsHype | Nov. 14, 2025

Eddie Johnson: Like most stars, Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are accustomed to playing with different units on the floor. But they are also used to having some control over how they are substituted. In Europe, coaches have the most power in the locker room, and it’s definitive: “It’s my way or the highway.” One thing Iisalo will find out, if he hasn’t already, is that the stars control the environment at an elevated level in the NBA and that he will have to reach a happy medium with them. Short bursts can truly disrupt any player’s rhythm, but a star will rebel if he feels it is affecting his play, especially if he knows he will be criticized for it. This is a recipe for tension between the player and the coach. HoopsHype | Nov. 14, 2025