Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant is facing a suspension in the 2023-24 season, but it's unclear just how long it will be. While signs are pointing to it being rather substantial, that could mean a lot of things. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski recently threw out 17 games as a number, but Sam Amico now reports “league sources have told Hoops Wire they believe Morant will be suspended for no less than the first half of the regular season.”
Again, nothing is confirmed just yet, with news to come after the NBA Finals. Still, this kind of suspension would be a huge deal.
Why is Ja Morant facing such a long suspension?
Ja Morant was suspended eight games in the 2022-23 season after he was seen with a gun at a strip club on IG Live. This came amid a tumultuous season that also included claims of assault against a teenager, among other transgressions. There was also an incident with Morant's crew involving employees of the Indiana Pacers.
The hope was that Morant would clean up his act, but after the Grizzlies were eliminated in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, he was again seen on IG Live with a gun. This led to Memphis announcing an indefinite suspension and further investigation by the league.
Adam Silver's Ja Morant comments before NBA Finals
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was asked about the Morant investigation before the NBA Finals. Silver said more information had been uncovered, but he didn't want to announce any suspension because it would be a distraction from the Finals.
“We’ve uncovered a fair amount of additional information,” Silver said. “We probably could have brought it to a head now, but we’ve made the decision that it would be unfair to these players and these teams to announce that decision in the middle of this series.”
These cryptic comments would indeed seem to suggest a lengthy suspension is coming, but we still must wait to see just how long it will be. While there's plenty of speculation and different rumors out there, we won't know for sure until after the Finals conclude.
Either way, it seems the Grizzlies will have to prepare to be without their superstar to start the 2023-24 season.
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