For all his talent, Ja Morant comes with a lot of baggage that puts the Memphis Grizzlies in a bind. That is especially evident by his recent suspension for arguing with coaches.
As a result, the Grizzlies may be looking to trade their star player. It was a topic of discussion on The Hoop Collective podcast.
Co-hosts Tim MacMahon and Tim Bontemps were on opposite sides.
“You say trade him, here’s the problem,” MacMahon said. “I didn’t say trading him was easy,” Bontemps replied.
“Yeah, I don’t think there is much,” MacMahon said. “Like you guys talk to people, I talk to people. Do you find a lot of people that believe there is going to be some robust market if they shop Ja Morant?”
“No, no, I don’t think there is one,” Bontemps said. “One is because of all the things we’ve talked about. The second is he’s just not that much of a difference maker at the position. And it’s a loaded position.”
So far, Morant is averaging 20.8 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are off to a 3-4 start. On Monday, they play against the Detroit Pistons.
Last Friday, Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. gave up against the Lakers, resulting in a 117-112 loss. A sign of increasing discontent.
Ja Morant does come with baggage
Even though Morant is high-caliber player, whether he stays in Memphis or is traded, he brings with him a great deal of vulnerability. Specifically, his long standing battle with injuries and his off the court controversies.
At the start of the season, Morant was placed on the injured list due to soreness in his ankles. For years, he has had to put up with lower body injuries, specifically his feet and ankles.
Then of course there is his off the court troubles, which included a lawsuit filled by a teenager claiming Morant assaulted him during a pick up basketball game. Eventually, the lawsuit was dropped.
Also, Morant was infamously suspended by the NBA for brandishing a gun on social media.
