Ja Morant won’t play for Grizzlies this season, or perhaps ever again originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Ja Morant hasn’t played in a game for the Memphis Grizzlies since January, and we won’t see him out on the court anytime soon.

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This week, the Grizzlies officially announced that Morant would be shut down for the rest of the season as he continues to rehab a UCL strain in his left elbow, ending the most underwhelming season of his professional career.

In 20 total appearances on the season, Morant averaged 19.5 points, 8.1 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per performance while shooting just 41 percent from the field and an anemic 23 percent from long range.

Here’s the official statement from the team:

“Morant continues to progress in his rehabilitation of a UCL sprain in his left elbow. Following a recent consultation to advise on lingering discomfort, it was recommended that Morant receive a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection to further optimize ligament healing. Morant will begin offloading the elbow following the injection and will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season, but he is expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2026-27 season.”

So now we know that we won’t see Morant in a Grizzlies jersey again this season, and it’s fair to wonder if we’ll ever see him play for the Grizzlies again.

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There was rampant speculation that the Grizzlies would trade the troubled guard prior to the deadline in February, and they tried to, but no deal came to fruition. Ultimately, interested teams were too weary to make intriguing offers due to concerns about Morant’s durability along with off-court behavior.

But, those conversations could be revisited over the offseason when teams on both sides of the equation could be more motivated to get a deal done.

Memphis has already moved on from Dillon Brooks, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. The rebuild is fully underway, and moving on from Morant is the next logical step.

Ultimately, the Grizzlies might have to settle for a little less in a return than the would have hoped for Morant, who still has two years and over $86 million remaining on his current contract. But, they should still be able to get decent value for a two-time All-Star who is still just 26 years old.

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For what it’s worth, Morant has previously expressed a desire to remain with the Grizzlies amid the speculation about his future in Memphis.

“I’ve got a [Grizzlies] logo on my back, so that should tell you exactly where I want to be,” Morant said earlier this year. “If anybody in here knows me, I’m a very loyal guy.”

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