It was not long ago that Ja Morant made his first All-Star team, was receiving MVP votes, and led the Memphis Grizzlies to 56 wins during the 2021-22 NBA season. Aside from tying the franchise record for the most wins in a single season, Morant had forged the foundation for what looked to be the next young powerhouse in the Western Conference.
Even before the Oklahoma City Thunder began their climb to the top of the league, it was Morant's Grizzlies that had the entire league's attention.
After three very different seasons in Memphis, the league is still watching the Grizzlies at the start of the 2025-26 season. However, the positive vibe that had the entire city dancing up and down to “Whoop Dat Trick” win after win has suddenly turned into deafening noise about the end of something that could have been.
The Grizzlies find themselves 3-6 after their first nine games of the new season, looking to snap a four-game losing streak entering Friday night's NBA Cup game against the Dallas Mavericks, who are dealing with their own problems and struggles.
Morant remains the face of the Grizzlies, but the high-energy, highly positive team that always greeted him with smiles at the end of games, whether it was on the bench or during his on-court postgame interview, is no more.
Tyus Jones and Dillon Brooks have moved on with their respective careers, and Desmond Bane was dealt to the Orlando Magic this past offseason for a slew of draft picks. Not to mention, the biggest change occurred on the sideline last season, as Taylor Jenkins, who went 250-214 with three playoff appearances, was fired before the conclusion of the 2024-25 season and replaced by Tuomas Iisalo.
In just six seasons with the organization, Jenkins recorded the most wins by a head coach in franchise history. However, that was not good enough for Zach Kleiman, the general manager and executive vice president of basketball operations. Kleiman had a vision for how he wanted his team to look, which is why he took control of the coaching staff before the 2024-25 season, hiring Iisalo and others.
From that moment, the writing was on the wall for Jenkins' departure in Memphis, which did not entirely sit well with Morant, league sources told ClutchPoints. Morant always held high respect for Jenkins and his coaching philosophy, and while they did have their fair share of arguments, the two were always able to move past the differences and put the Grizzlies in a spot to succeed.
Even after all of Morant's off-the-court drama and suspensions, Jenkins still believed in his star and instilled confidence in him to be the leader of this team. With Jenkins gone and Iisalo taking over all the decisions regarding how the team played and their nightly rotations, tension began to form between the new head coach and Morant.
With Iisalo favoring a deeper rotation that cuts down on the minutes of Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. in key moments of the game, Morant's anger reached a boiling point on Halloween night, when the Grizzlies hosted the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Cup.
The constant in-and-out substitutions Iisalo had been making through the first two weeks of the 2025-26 season began to impact Morant mentally, leading to a halftime interaction between the coaching staff and the players where the star point guard was challenged to be better and lift the team's energy despite the team's 14-point halftime lead, sources said.
This did not sit well with Morant, and that showed with his lackluster play in the second half. The Grizzlies would go on to lose 117-112, which led to a very animated and heated discussion between the coaching staff, primarily Iisalo, and Morant in the locker room after the game, sources said.
While the direct quotes of this locker room squabble between Iisalo and Morant were not shared verbatim with ClutchPoints, multiple sources say Iisalo singled Morant out for his lack of effort and leadership. Voices were raised during this postgame locker room session, and it ended with Morant essentially telling Iisalo that the constant substitutions were not working and they were the reason for everyone's lack of enthusiasm in the second half.
The coaches left the locker room, and multiple players approached Morant to share similar sentiments on the coaching philosophy early this season, sources said. Memphis has yet to win a game in the week since tensions reached their boiling point in the Grizzlies' locker room, and matters have not been resolved in the slightest.
Morant was suspended for one game after the team's NBA Cup loss to Los Angeles on Halloween for what was deemed as “conduct detrimental to the team,” and what the All-Star point guard said of the situation after a 114-106 loss on Nov. 3 to the Detroit Pistons raised eyebrows around the league.
When asked if he has the same joy NBA fans are used to seeing from him, Morant responded with one word: “No.” After being asked why that was, Morant shrugged, but he did say he has a good relationship with the franchise.
In the team's most recent 124-109 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, Morant was again visibly frustrated at times. As Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports pointed out, Morant wouldn't look at Iisalo when checking out of the game, there were no high fives between the head coach and star player, and Morant would oftentimes be by himself at the end of the bench and not engaged during timeouts.
Will these confrontations and Morant's lack of joy playing for Iisalo ultimately lead to the 26-year-old's departure from the franchise that drafted him second overall in 2019? All eyes around the league are fixated on what is happening in Memphis with Morant, as this has suddenly become the biggest storyline of the 2025-26 season.
What's next for Grizzlies, Ja Morant?
Over the years, the Grizzlies have slowly moved away from the philosophy that won them 56 games during the 2021-22 season, a philosophy that revolved around Morant. He was the face of the franchise, which is why Kleiman and his front office continuously did everything they could to make this team a contender around Morant.
As a result of multiple injuries, Morant's off-the-court controversies, and tensions rising between Jenkins and the front office, Kleiman took the organization in a different direction.
The 2023-24 season was a lost cause for the Grizzlies no matter how you look at it. Morant only played in nine games as a result of his 25-game suspension and injuries, Bane missed half the season, and the team shuffled through 33 different players on the active roster throughout the year. But despite all the injuries, Kleiman still expected excellence from his team and coaching staff.
As previously mentioned, Kleiman took greater control of the team and organizational decisions, specifically regarding Jenkins' coaching staff, after the 2022-23 season. This led to more tension growing between Jenkins and Kleiman, especially after he hired Iisalo from Paris Basketball to be Memphis' lead assistant.
In Paris, Iisalo led his club to a 20-1 record and the title in 2024. Iisalo was named the 2024 LNB Pro A Coach of the Year in France and was the brain behind one of the best offenses European basketball had seen in recent memory.
Along with wanting a change to the team's offense, Kleiman also wanted Jenkins to spend more time integrating his recent draft picks into the lineups and cut down on overall minutes of the team as a whole, especially after the 2023-24 season in which Memphis suffered a ton of injuries, sources said.
Kleiman was a big fan of Jake LaRavia, who never really solidified himself in Jenkins' rotations. Now, LaRavia is a core part of the Lakers' success this season. Scotty Pippen Jr. and Vince Williams Jr. are two other players Kleiman consistently wanted to see more minutes allocated to, regardless if it meant limiting Morant's time.
The front office deemed that a change was needed on the sideline, and despite Morant's relationship with Jenkins, he agreed that a new voice was needed. While coaches like Mike Brown and Michael Malone, who have championship experience, stood out in the eyes of multiple players on the roster, Kleiman stuck with Iisalo and made him the permanent head coach.
This decision to fire Jenkins was not because he lost the locker room but rather because he lost Kleiman's patience, and Iisalo was ready to lead the GM's vision.
Throughout everything that has occurred since Jenkins was fired, Morant and All-Star big man Jaren Jackson Jr. have remained close and on the same page with one another, sources said. That relationship is strong and has not been altered whatsoever.
The same can be said about Kleiman and the organization's view of these two stars being the focal points of the roster. There have been zero indications suggesting Kleiman has thought about trading Morant, even after this recent blow-up in the locker room, sources said. More importantly, Morant has not suggested he wants to be traded.
Even so, talk around the league and between teams continues to circulate around Memphis and how this season will play out for them. Could Morant become available between now and the trade deadline, especially with the relationship between him and his head coach looking broken beyond repair?
Things change on a dime in the NBA, which is why rival organizations are not counting out the idea of Morant becoming the biggest name to hit the trade block and be on the move between now and February 6, this season's NBA trade deadline.
As far as Morant's market goes, many around the league outside of Memphis have downplayed the amount of interest that would actually exist. Many are always quick to point out Morant's off-the-court antics and past suspensions, plus there are concerns existing among several organizations who spoke with ClutchPoints about his overall maturity.
Still, there would be some teams that would raise an eyebrow at an athletic guard with Morant's talents hitting the market, especially since he has two more years left on his contract and has $126.5 million remaining on his contract, including this season.
The Sacramento Kings have been the most frequent team associated in conversations about a possible Morant trade, and it makes a lot of sense as to why this is. Aside from the fact that the Kings are one of the only teams in the league with movable contracts to acquire a star-level player in the middle of the season, Sacramento has questions in their backcourt after trading De'Aaron Fox away last season.
If he were available in trade talks, it would make a lot of sense for the Kings to get a gauge on what Memphis would want since DeMar DeRozan's time in Sacramento appears to be limited and since the team looked to trade Malik Monk multiple times during the offseason. Those two talents alone make up enough combined salary to match Morant's $39.4 million cap hit this season.
Given their point guard problems with Fred VanVleet out for the season, the Houston Rockets have also been brought up as an idea from league personnel if Morant were to be moved before the trade deadline.
However, VanVleet remains a big part of the Rockets' locker room despite his ACL injury, and Houston faces a tight financial situation where acquiring a big contract would be impossible without trading VanVleet.
A similar notion has also been reported by my colleague Sam Amick of The Athletic, who wrote on Wednesday that the Rockets are “unlikely” to pursue Morant. Interestingly enough, Amick did name the Minnesota Timberwolves as a team monitoring Morant, which is interesting when you imagine his dynamic with Anthony Edwards.
These two would be virtually impossible to stop when they get going at full speed in the open court, and it's no secret that the Wolves have backcourt problems. Donte DiVincenzo is not a lead guard, Mike Conley is now 38 years old, and Rob Dillingham has yet to emerge as the future of Minnesota's point guard position.
Another team league personnel have mentioned as a team to watch if Morant become available is the Los Angeles Clippers. Steve Ballmer is never afraid to pursue star-level talent, and with James Harden not getting any younger, bringing in a 26-year-old point guard with the dynamic, explosive style of play Morant possesses would be advantageous.
However, the Clippers seem to have a plan in place to keep max cap space available over the next couple of seasons, primarily in 2027 when the contracts of Harden and Kawhi Leonard expire.
Overall, the market for Morant is very, very slim, and that is not expected to change, no matter what happens in Memphis.
Although the national storyline about the Grizzlies revolves around Morant's future with the organization, many teams around the NBA aren't enamored with what ultimately happens with the All-Star point guard. Instead, teams are keeping a close eye on Jaren Jackson Jr. and how a potential fallout with Morant could impact his status, sources said.
Jackson just signed a five-year, $239.9 million extension with the Grizzlies that keeps him under contract through the 2029-30 season. His 2025-26 salary was renegotiated and adjusted accordingly with this new extension.
Kleiman made it his mission to re-sign Jackson this past offseason, and the Grizzlies did just that by ensuring Jackson remains a focal point of their future. But could the 26-year-old forward, a three-time All-Defensive player and former Defensive Player of the Year, reconsider his immediate future should Morant ultimately leave?
That is the question many organizations are keeping in the back of their minds regarding Morant's status in Memphis, as Jackson would be coveted around the league. One Western Conference executive that spoke with ClutchPoints described Jackson as the “missing piece” for many teams to win a championship right away in both conferences.
Then again, this is wishful thinking from rival organizations that wish they had a player in their frontcourt like Jackson. He made a commitment to the Grizzlies with his extension this offseason, and Jackson continues to signal that he believes in his team.
“Just a lot more of the right things. A lot more of those good stretches. A lot more of the right stuff,” Jackson said after Monday's loss to the Pistons regarding what Memphis needs. “It's gonna take buy-in from everybody, but we're fully capable. We have all the tools and pieces.
“We have everything that we need to be successful, so it's not something I'm too worried about, but the urgency got to be there.”
Pelicans facing major Willie Green decision
One of the big question marks this past offseason in the Western Conference was whether the New Orleans Pelicans would part ways with head coach Willie Green. Although not entirely Green's fault due to roster changes and injuries, the Pelicans won just 21 games during the 2024-25 season, their second-fewest wins in a season in franchise history.
Owner Gayle Benson has always been a huge supporter of Green, and while there was internal pressure to move on from the head coach, she made the final call to keep him.
At the time, executive vice president David Griffin was one of the leading voices to fire Green. This, along with a few other reasons regarding the roster construction, led to Griffin being replaced by Benson with Joe Dumars, who left his role as the NBA's Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations, to become the new EVP of the team.
Dumars got to work right away, moving pieces around in a very aggressive manner. CJ McCollum was traded to the Washington Wizards in a deal that sent Jordan Poole to New Orleans, and the most questionable deal the Pelicans made came during the 2025 NBA Draft when they traded a few assets, including their unprotected 2026 first-round pick, to the Atlanta Hawks for the draft rights to Derik Queen.
All seemed well in New Orleans entering the year, especially with Dumars publicly backing Green, and All-Star forward Zion Williamson was said to be in the best condition of his career after a slew of injuries.
After a 0-6 start to the year, noise about Green's job security grew louder across the league, as league sources told ClutchPoints about serious internal conversations Dumars and the Pelicans' front office were having about their head coach.
Aside from the team's struggles on the court, many in the organization began questioning Green's tactics. He benched Poole in favor of rookie first-round pick Jeremiah Fears, which led to visible frustration with the former NBA champion guard. This move also did not sit right with a handful of players in the locker room, sources said.
Another questionable decision made by Green revolved around starting veteran center Deandre Jordan, who just signed with the team after the season began, over 2024-25 All-Rookie center Yves Missi. Of course, there was also an issue from Dumars' perspective with rookie Derik Queen, who the organization gave up a lot for, not seeing adequate minutes.
With tensions rising and Green's seat growing hotter, many in the organization began to contemplate whether firing Green after just a couple of weeks would be justified. Ultimately, the Pelicans have held off on making a move with Green to this point, and Benson remains a huge advocate for the head coach, sources said.
Even so, these discussions about his future are ongoing, and it truly does seem like a matter of when he will be relieved of his duties rather than if this will occur in the coming weeks. As ClutchPoints' Pelicans insider Chris Dodson reported, the team is being patient with Green, and the team is using the week of Thanksgiving near the end of November as a benchmark to evaluate the team's position and Green's standing.
In any event that Green is removed as the head coach by the end of November, it is expected that James Borrego would assume duties as the interim head coach, sources said. Borrego has interviewed for several head coaching jobs through the years and ultimately decided to stay in New Orleans. He also has the support of many players, including Williamson.
Whether or not Borrego would be the organization's long-term pick to be Green's successor is the ultimate question, especially if experienced coaches like Taylor Jenkins and Michael Malone remain searching for a new gig next summer. The Pelicans have won two straight games, which has slightly eased tensions for Green.
Other than the eventual decision to be made with Green, the other question marks in New Orleans surround Williamson and his long-term status with the franchise that drafted him first overall in 2019.
When he plays, there is no denying that Zion is one of the most athletic and eye-opening players in the league. His numbers speak for themselves, and he is capable of being an All-Star player once more. However, his inconsistencies revolve around his availability, as Williamson has missed over 50 percent of the team's total games since the start of the 2019-20 season.
Once again, Williamson is on the injury report, this time with a low-grade left hamstring strain. The Pelicans are of the belief that this won't be a long-term injury for their star forward and is more of an inconvenience than anything else, but the concern level regarding his overall health continues to rise.
Will the Pelicans finally cut the cord and move on from Williamson before the trade deadline?
Should Dumars and the front office want to move Williamson, it would be an admission by the franchise that they have failed over the last handful of years. He was drafted first overall in 2019 to be the future of the organization, and everything the Pelicans have tried to do through the years has revolved around Williamson.
Whether or not the organization as a whole still believes in him to be their focal point, given all of his injury concerns, is the question at large.
Even if Zion were to hit the trade market and Dumars searched for avenues to move the 25-year-old star, he would be met with no realistic paths where the Pelicans would win. No team around the league has signaled consistent interest in Williamson over the last year, and New Orleans would be lucky to get an unprotected pick for him, one Eastern Conference executive told ClutchPoints.
“The product speaks for itself,” the East executive said. “Zion is a great player, and he could absolutely help any team in the league. The only problem is that history says he would only help a team for half the year at most because he has never been able to stay healthy. The risk outweighs the reward, especially when you take his cap hit into consideration. If they trade him, they won't be getting anything really of value in return.”
To this point, the Pelicans have not signaled that they are interested in moving Williamson, and there has not been any traction regarding the former All-Star on the trade block. This is a situation to monitor entering December and when the calendar flips to 2026.
Other names on the Pelicans roster also stand out when looking at potential trades. Multiple teams have expressed interest in Jose Alvarado through the years, and third-year guard Jordan Hawkins is a player who has yet to really solidify himself as a go-to option on the Pelicans' bench since being drafted 14th overall in 2023.
Now that Fears and Poole are handling the bulk of the minutes in the backcourt, as well as Dejounte Murray expected to make his return from an Achilles injury sometime after the new year, it's hard to envision Hawkins becoming a focal point for the Pelicans.
Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III are the other two big names many asked about over the offseason. Nothing has changed on this front, as the Pelicans continue to hold firm on the stance that Jones and Murphy are not available in trade discussions, sources said. Still, these are the two big fish teams that are monitoring in New Orleans, with Green's future and that of Williamson's being uncertain.
Pistons still interested in Malik Beasley
When the offseason began, it seemed like a given that the Detroit Pistons would bring back sharpshooter Malik Beasley. He has solidified himself as a core scoring option on this team next to Cade Cunningham, and Beasley was a huge reason for the Pistons' success in the Eastern Conference last season.
Unfortunately for Beasley, a string of off-the-court issues stood in the way of him and a contract this offseason, especially after news of his investigation for suspicious betting activity came to light.
With all the controversy surrounding illegal betting in sports and the recent FBI investigations that led to the arrests of Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, no team has been willing to pursue Beasley until a final verdict on his matter is given.
Beasley has not been named in the federal investigation taking place, and his lawyer has stated multiple times that no wrongdoing is associated with his client regarding the matter. As a result, Beasley has not worked with federal agents, and he does not intend to do so.
Essentially, Beasley is stuck in limbo until his name is cleared of any wrongdoing. No team is willing to offer him a contract until this happens.
Even so, Beasley is still holding out hope he will be able to play this season, and he hopes that he will be back in Detroit. The Pistons remain interested in bringing the sharpshooter back, and that interest is mutual, sources said. This has been the case since the summer, as the team has maintained financial flexibility in the event they can bring him back.
While the Pistons did just fill their 15th roster spot by signing Isaac Jones, who was recently released by the Kings, Javonte Green's contract remains partially guaranteed for $925,106 until Jan. 10. The Pistons don't face any financial hardships whatsoever, so in theory, they could waive any player near the end of their bench in favor of Beasley this season.
Beasley still envisions himself playing in the NBA again, and he recently stated in a live video on social media that if he does return to the NBA, it would be with the Pistons.
“I didn't sign anything yet, but I have my strongest ties there,” Beasley said in the video. “I had my best season there last year. Hopefully I can fit back in with the team.”
What is interesting about Beasley's statement is that he said “if” he returns to the NBA. Recently, there have been several international clubs expressing interest in the sharpshooter, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. Teams in Europe and China have a “strong” interest in Beasley, which puts him in a tough spot to decide on his basketball future.
In the NBA, along with interest still existing from the Pistons, the Cleveland Cavaliers are another team who have continued to express interest in Beasley, sources said. Cleveland still has a roster spot open, and there would be a clear path to Beasley contributing immediately as a 3-point shooting threat next to Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell with Max Strus sidelined indefinitely.
Options exist for Beasley both in the NBA and overseas, but his future in this league depends on if he is to be fully cleared from any wrongdoing in his gambling investigation.
Other intel and notes around the NBA:
Dallas Mavericks: A 2-6 start to the season has many around the league wondering if Nico Harrison and the Dallas Mavericks will be selective sellers before the trade deadline in February if their struggles continue. While the Mavs rank as a top-five defensive team, they rank 30th in offensive rating this season. Defense wins championships, but you won't win any game if you can't score!
It is no secret that Harrison and the Mavericks' front office will explore what return exists for Klay Thompson before the trade deadline, and several teams are monitoring Daniel Gafford's status, sources said. The 27-year-old center recently signed a three-year, $60 million contract extension this offseason, but he remains trade eligible this season.
At this time, the Mavs are not operating in a panic mode and don't appear to be ready to sell assets by any means, but they are being watched closely. Coincidentally enough, one of the teams with strong interest in Gafford dating back to last season is the Los Angeles Lakers, sources said. Could we see a reunion between Luka Doncic and Gafford in Los Angeles in February?
Golden State Warriors: Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry will miss his second consecutive game on Friday night, as he is currently dealing with an undisclosed illness that is not COVID, sources said. While he played on Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns, Curry was not feeling well whatsoever and declined as the game progressed. Steph is human after all, and he will remain away from the team until he begins feeling better.
Indiana Pacers: Despite their slow start and slew of injuries, the Indiana Pacers are not expected to be major sellers, sources said. The Pacers knew they would take a step back this season as a result of Tyrese Haliburton's Achilles injury, and the organization remains in steady financial positioning. It would come as a surprise, as of right now, if players like Andrew Nembhard, TJ McConnell, or Aaron Nesmith were made available before next offseason.
Utah Jazz: After being traded to the Utah Jazz, it seemed as if former five-time All-Star Kevin Love would seek a buyout. That no longer appears to be the case, at least as of right now, as he has embraced his role as the veteran leader of this young Jazz team. Love has played in three consecutive games for Will Hardy since Walker Kessler suffered his season-ending shoulder injury, and he seems to be having fun with this young team.
Since joining the Jazz, Love has formed a strong connection with his 37-year-old head coach, and he shares a strong mutual connection with many inside Utah's front office, including Danny Ainge. Love seems to be at peace with where he is, which is why no change is expected.
