Only one team can get Ja Morant back on track, says Kendrick Perkins

Have I Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies reached the point of no return? ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins believes it was after a contentious altercation with the coaching staff that led to a one-game suspension. Morant is not happy with the Grizzlies this seasonwhich is the start of Memphis head coach Tuomas Iisal’s first full season as head coach after taking over in late March of last season.

On Morant’s trail frustration with his coaches’ guidelines this season, which has included playing Jaws in occasional bursts for long stretches, Perkins believes Morant’s future lies elsewhere, he said, according to ESPN’s Road Trippin.

“I feel like this relationship has run its course. I think it’s time for Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies to part ways,” Perkins said. “I think there’s only one option for Ja Morant. One direction he needs to go. He needs that Erik Spoelstra, Pat Riley Miami Heat culture.”

Spoelstra’s disciplined regimen and hard-working approach are well-documented as the backbone of the Miami Heat’s culture, which Kendrick Perkins alludes to as the type of environment that could whip Morant into shape. However, the attitude Morant exemplified wasn’t the best PR for potential suitors looking to trade for a live-in guard.

Mark Spears shares NBA manager’s harsh stance on Grizzlies’ Ja Morant

Some NBA managers wouldn’t trade for Ja Morant from the Grizzliesaccording to ESPN’s Mark Spears. The combination of Morant’s five-year, $197.2 million contract and off-the-court issues, including two social media gun incidents, has GM spooked.

There are more than a few NBA executives considering trading for Morant it’s not worth the riskSpears revealed, according to ESPN’s NBA Today.

“Four executives I spoke with today say they really have no interest in trading for him. One said it’s a combination of contract and off-court issues. Another suggested that if Jha is traded, he’ll probably be a problem star for a problem star. I asked one current NBA coach if he’d want to coach Ja Morant, and he said he’s not sure he’d do it.”

Marc Spears on what people around the league are saying about Ja Morant:

“Four executives I spoke with today say they really have no interest in trading for him. One said it’s because it’s a combination of the contract and off-court issues. Another suggested that if Ja is traded . . . pic.twitter.com/C3K3UiD6P0

— Oh no, it’s not (@ohnohedidnt24) November 4, 2025

Morant is in the third year of his $39.4 million contract, with options rising to $42.1 million and $44.8 million at the end of his contract.