Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant sat at his locker, kicking his feet with white Air Force 1s hanging off of them, prepared to make his first public comments since being injured on Jan. 21.
A lot has changed around the Grizzlies and with Morant in that time. Particularly, the Grizzlies traded Jaren Jackson Jr. in an eight-player deal on Feb. 3 to the Utah Jazz.
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“I wasn’t a fan of it, but it’s a business, so, like I told him, he’s been a pro for eight years now, so continue to be that,” Morant said.
Morant’s name first surfaced in trade rumors on Jan. 9, when sources confirmed to The Commercial Appeal that the team would be listening to offers on the point guard for the first time in his seven-year career.
While Jackson ended up being traded, Morant’s name constantly surfaced in rumors leading up to the Feb. 5 deadline. On March 7, Morant said that he hopes his future is still in Memphis.
Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said the team is pivoting to a younger build, but Morant still believes he can be happy in Memphis.
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“Why I can’t I be? I’ve been happy this whole time,” Morant said.
Morant is averaging 19.5 points and 8.1 assists in 20 games this season. He’s currently out with an elbow injury suffered on Jan. 21 against the Atlanta Hawks. The Grizzlies announced on March 6 that Morant will be reevaluated in two weeks due to the left elbow UCL sprain.
This story will be updated . . .
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Grizzlies’ Ja Morant addresses trade talks, Jaren Jackson Jr. deal