Adam Silver has again spoken about the impending punishment for Ja Morant in the wake of the Memphis Grizzlies' star's second gun-related infringement in a short period of time.
Speaking on NBA Countdown prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Silver was asked by Stephen A. Smith whether he had factored the concept of ‘sending a message' into the punishment.
“I get a little nervous when people talk about sending a message. Sometimes it implies that you may not be fair to that individual player. But there's no question in this league that there's something called ‘conduct detrimental to the league', and it's not just conduct that may be negative – we want to portray a positive image in terms of our players in this league.”
The response comes after speculation about Morant's potential suspension has spread like wildfire in recent weeks, after Silver admitted that it had already been decided but would be announced after the NBA Finals. Some sources have suggested that he could be suspended for half of the 2023-24 season or longer, something which would clearly have a significant impact on the Grizzlies and which would, perhaps to Adam Silver's chagrin, certainly send a message.
This latest statement, however, suggests that sending a message was not necessarily front of mind for the NBA. Regardless, the suspension is not going to be a short one given Morant was already forced to miss eight games after his first infringement. Whether they're sending a message or not, the Grizzlies appear likely to be without their star point guard for a hefty portion of the beginning of next season.
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