Ja Morant came out against the Magic after reportedly telling his teammates he was done playing for Memphis

ByNBAUSA



The ongoing saga in between I Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies has seemingly reached a breaking point. Ahead of the Grizzlies’ away game in Germany, a video of the point guard arguing with his teammate has gone viral. It’s just the latest development in an issue that’s been around since the start of the season, and maybe even before that.

Now, the Grizzlies have ruled Morant out for their game against the Magic in Berlin, Germany. Marc Stein’s report says Morant’s absence is due to a calf contusion.

An earlier report from The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reported as much Morant was angry about recent rumors that the Grizzlies were shopping him. The guard reportedly told his teammates he didn’t want to play. While the Grizzlies can argue that Morant’s absence is due to injury (potentially not leading to problems with the NBA), the report questions the true nature of Morant’s “injury.”

“Morant’s status has been changed to playing,” Vardon wrote to The Athletic. “He and the team also likely have plausible deniability if he doesn’t, given his extended injury absence. Any league investigation would likely show that Morant was injured at some point, and the league can’t set a timetable for any player’s return to action. However, Morant is also clearly upset by the trade rumors. League sources said he suggests at least two NBA players will play for him. Memphis more, though that could be proven false Thursday night.

The Grizzlies’ second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Morant’s relationship with the team has soured over the past few years. The team suspended the point guard just two weeks into the season after he made comments about his coaches. That, along with reports about him and Memphis over the past few seasons, has fueled trade rumors surrounding him.

The NBA trade deadline is now just a month away. If there’s ever a time for this rapidly deteriorating relationship, it will be then. If it doesn’t happen, Grizzlies fans are in for a long, dramatic season.





2026-01-14 17:15:00

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