Ja Morant’s backcourt partner was just traded away, but it doesn’t look like Morant himself is next up on the chopping block.
The Memphis Grizzlies still plan to build around their All-Star guard Morant as well as standout center Jaren Jackson Jr, Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Monday. Charania notes that the Grizzlies are “signaling privately” that those are their plans, even after their trade over the weekend of guard Desmond Bane.
Memphis just dealt Bane, a 20-ppg scorer at 26 years old, to an Eastern Conference playoff team in exchange for a package heavy on future draft picks. The move led many to believe that the Grizzlies, who were swept out of the first round of the playoffs this year, might be launching a full-scale rebuild.
The former All-NBA selection Morant is probably the best asset left on the Memphis roster, especially since he is still only 25 and has another three years remaining on his contract. There have also been signs in recent months that the Grizzlies’ patience is wearing thin with Morant, who is often injured and who regularly makes the news for unsavory reasons.
A report broke in late March claiming that Morant and the Grizzlies were at odds, particularly after the firing of head coach Taylor Jenkins. Just a few days ago, Morant made a high-profile change to his representation as well.
Nevertheless, Morant, who averaged 23.2 points and 7.3 assists per game, is eligible for a new two-year extension with Memphis this summer. While it remains to be seen if the Grizzlies will actually offer it to Morant, they at least sound content with potentially keeping the explosive point guard around for the remainder of his current contract.
