The now draft-rich Memphis Grizzlies exited the NBA Trade Deadline having made a seismic shift to the roster, and with that came a familiar wave of speculation around the long-term direction. Only Ja Morant remains from a core that was pushing for the West's top seed for most of last season. EVP/GM Zach Kleiman anticipated the rumors, especially in the wake of trading both Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Fans were bound to be suspicious of the Grizzliesgiven the drastic pivot, just as Morant was keen to keep track of the market's response to his perceived value. Kleiman addressed those concerns head-on, pushing back against speculation while emphasizing the team's broader organizational vision.
“I think we’ve been incredibly supportive,” Kleiman explained. “Because Ja is Ja, there’s a lot of attention paid to Ja and everything around him. I honestly think a lot of it is overblown. I’ve had open, constructive, honest conversations with Ja and his camp, and I’m going to continue to.”
“Ja remains a member of the team,” he added. “We evaluate all our players. We have, and we will continue on, whether they're taking consistent action that lead to consistent positive outcomes for the team. With Ja and everyone else on the team, we will carry forward with an open mind on whether the fit is there.”
Kleiman's comments reflect a notable evolution from just a year ago, when the front office outright dismissed trade speculation. Still, the Grizzlies are going to keep all options open heading into the summer. The Grizzlies may label the drama “overblown,” but the market’s silent verdict spoke with deafening clarity. Everyone is locked in an uncomfortable holding pattern, waiting for someone, somewhere, to see enough value to make an offer.
“We’ve been incredibly supportive of (Ja Morant) for many years,” Kleiman stressed again. “This is about organizational direction, though. This is not about Ja in particular. I understand that Ja is Ja, and there’s more attention kind of paid to that. But all of this is grounded in organizational direction and building a team that we believe can achieve the highest level of success in this league.”
Injuries and underperformance were death by a thousand cuts for the Morant, Bane, and Jackson Jr. era. At least the Grizzlies got right to the point in addressing their All-Star situation amid a rebuilding project.
