The league announced on Wednesday all 15 All-NBA selections for the 2022-23 season. One of the biggest snubs on the three teams is Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant, who is now facing a significant financial downturn following his inability to activate the All-NBA clause in his contract. This comes out to a whopping $39 million loss for Morant after he was unable to make the All-NBA team this season.
Morant has an All-NBA clause in his current deal wherein he will be eligible for a $233 million supermax extension if he is named in an All-NBA squad this season. However, given that he failed to do so, Ja will need to “settle” for $194 million for five years.
Unfortunately for Ja, the mean streets of Twitter weren't exactly feeling sorry for him amid this unfortunate development. The keyboard warriors showed no mercy:
BRO GOING TO CHINA 😭
— ❆ (@TraesMuse) May 10, 2023
https://twitter.com/ggkawhi/status/1656437608661098496
https://twitter.com/KiLLASBk/status/1656437713392771072




— Lord T X (@lordtink) May 10, 2023
Ja’s going to take it out on the neighborhood kid and it’s going to be hilariously pathetic
— Carl (@MuffinTopsRHot) May 10, 2023
Flashing that gun cost him $39M! Smh.
— David Weiner #🟦 (@BimaThug) May 10, 2023
A number of folks out there feel that Ja deserved a spot in the All-NBA squads. But most of the reactions were similar to the ones above. There were a lot of references to his gun scandal earlier this season, which lead to a relatively lengthy team-imposed suspension. It was a life-changing and potentially career-shifting turn of events for the young superstar. And there's no denying that it had some sort of impact on his All-NBA snub.
For what it's worth, Ja Morant also played just 61 games this season. Injuries stood in the way of the 23-year-old making his case for an All-NBA selection. And surely, this was a factor in the same as well. Based on a new NBA rule that will be implemented starting next season, players will need to play a minimum of 65 games to be eligible for the league's major awards, which also includes the All-NBA teams. Perhaps the implementation of this new rule came a year early for Ja?