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Ja Morant has been out since November 15th with an injury.
The Memphis Grizzlies have been playing some good basketball lately. Memphis concluded their four-game road trip with a loss against the San Antonio Spurs, but they won the previous three. However, the Grizzlies have been without their star, Ja Morant.
Morant has been dealing with a calf strain, an injury that has plagued the NBA this year. Originally, he was set to be reevaluated after two weeks. It took a little longer than expected, but the star guard was able to get his evaluation done after Tuesday’s loss against the Spurs. With that came great news.
Per Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com, Morant practiced with the team and is officially considered day-to-day heading into the weekend.
Iisalo says Ja Morant (calf strain) is progressing well in recovery and ramp up and is considered “day-to-day” to return from two-week absence.
Ja participated in parts of Thursday’s practice ahead of this weekend’s home set against the Clippers (Friday) and Blazers (Sunday).
Ja Morant’s Season at a Glance
GettyJa Morant is averaging just under 18.0 points per game this season.
Morant has played 12 of the Grizzlies’ 22 games this season. He has had off-court issues that have caused him to miss time, but the injuries are what keep him in street clothes. The 26-year-old has faced plenty of injuries throughout his career, so his absence is nothing new to Memphis.
Still, not having Morant on the floor is always a negative. This season, though, the former first-round pick has not been at his best. He is averaging 17.9 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, and 7.6 assists. At the moment, his points per game are the lowest since his rookie season, while he is averaging a career-low in rebounds. Additionally, he is shooting a career-worst 35.9% from the floor and 16.9% from three-point range.
In his 12 games played this year, the Grizzlies are 4-8. That makes them a .500 team in the 10 games he has sat out. Memphis is slightly better offensively with Morant on the court, but almost 5.0 opponent points per game worse. Still, having the Murray State product return would be a positive for the Grizzlies.
Morant’s Future in Memphis
GettyJa Morant has a little bit of interest on the trade market.
The Grizzlies should be ecstatic to get their star player back on the floor. However, Morant has been linked to some trade rumors. That does not mean he will definitely be traded, but anytime a superstar is mentioned, it usually means other teams have expressed real interest.
For the Grizzlies, Morant is going to be harder to move. The team was able to trade Desmond Bane over the offseason and receive an awesome return for him. However, the team would be hard-pressed to get that same haul for Morant.
The first reason is his contract. Morant is owed over $42 million next season and over $44 million the year after. He will be a free agent after 2027/28, but teams will think twice before taking on his contract, especially for the price Memphis will be asking for in return.
Another reason teams are hesitant to take Morant is his off-court issues and his injuries. There are already a few anonymous teams with no interest in Morant. He has been suspended multiple times already, and he has not played more than 67 games during any year of his career.
Nonetheless, there are definitely a few teams that would be excited to welcome Morant to their city. The Grizzlies would have plenty of offers to consider if they make the All-Star guard available via trade. But as of now, Morant will be staying put in Memphis, and there is no real indication he is going anywhere.
Cam Zunkel Cam Zunkel has been a sports journalist since 2022. He covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Cam also covers multiple MLB teams for On SI – part of the Sports Illustrated Brand. He is a former collegiate baseball player with two stops in the independent Frontier League. More about Cam Zunkel
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