Three weeks after the 2025–26 regular season began, Ja Morant has already become the league’s hottest topic of trade chatter.
Many are wondering if the end of the road is nearing for both Morant and the Grizzlies after the All-Star's infamous postgame rant directed at head coach Tuomas Iisalo, which forced the franchise to impose a one-game suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team.”
Since then, all eyes have been monitoring what might come next for both sides, as the Grizzlies have gone 1-4 since the incident while Morant is averaging 16.8 points on a poor 28.8 percent shooting.
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Despite the ongoing trade noise and league-wide attention, the Grizzlies are reportedly committed to pushing through with their franchise guard.
“To this point, there has been no indication emanating from Memphis that the Grizzlies want to entertain trade offers for Ja Morant,” veteran NBA insider Marc Stein said on the All NBA Podcast. “They’re trying to get healthy. They believe that when healthy, they’ll be competitive even in the tough West. And also, Ja is so popular in Memphis. He is absolutely beloved.
“I do think that they want to give this thing every chance they can to work and to see what can happen in Iisalo’s first season.”
Right now, the Grizzlies are sliding with a 4-7 record that puts them at the 10th seed in the West. But a major part of this has been their unhealthy key players.
Brandon Clarke (knee) and Zach Edey (ankle) remain out as they recover from their respective surgeries. Ty Jerome is still healing from a calf strain, while Scotty Pippen Jr. Continues his lengthy rehab after undergoing a toe procedure.
Amid the intense race in the West, the Grizzlies have every reason to be confident in their chances to compete. Despite the offseason trade of Desmond Bane, they have built a deep and formidable supporting cast around Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
But in the end, we can only wait and see if their ongoing struggles or another possible negative incident from Morant would force them to finally pull the trigger.
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