After the Memphis Grizzlies' 118-111 loss to the Magic in Berlin, Ja Morant's sixth consecutive missed game, Blake Griffin said that it seems like the 26-year-old guard is "checked out." Griffin acknowledged that he is viewing the situation from the outside, but that sometimes it's best to part ways, saying that's where it feels Memphis and Ja are headed.
Did fans need to hear Griffin say that on the NBA on Prime postgame show to admit that the Morant era could soon come to an end? No, but hearing it nonetheless stings, considering where Ja and the Grizzlies were a few years ago. They went from the league's most exciting young team back down to the bottom half of the conference.
Morant hasn't been able to stay on the court — from injuries to suspensions. Memphis has dealt with a slew of other injuries, too, adding to the misfortune. Since the Grizzlies made it to the second round of the playoffs in 2022, they were first-round exits twice, missing the playoffs altogether in 2024.
Ja has played only 18 games this season, missing 10 at the start of the season due to a calf sprain. He's missed the past six games with another calf injury. Between another injury-riddled season for Morant and Memphis' spot in the West, ESPN's Shams Charania reported last week that the Grizzlies are "entertaining offers" for the guard.
As much as fans may not want a trade to happen, it feels like it's the only route for Memphis to take, as Griffin said.
No one wanted to see Ja's time with the Grizzlies end like this
It makes sense for Memphis to retool its roster to embrace its youth, but that doesn't mean that it will be easy to say goodbye to Ja. What would make a trade more bearable is if the Grizzlies could get a return for him that'd set them up nicely for the future, but his trade value is too low for that. They could get more than what the Hawks got for Trae Young, but that's not saying much.
On Wednesday, Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports reported that Ja and the Heat view the Heat as an "attractive option." A trade would give him the fresh start he needs, and fully allow the Grizzlies to build the team around Jaren Jackson Jr., assuming they keep the 26-year-old.
It's felt like a breakup between the two sides has been brewing for some time now, and while they could reconcile, it doesn't seem like either side truly wants to. Just like fans really don't want to see Ja leave, but they know that at this point, it'd be for the best. It will be a relief when it is all over (and it could be sooner than you think), even though it was never supposed to end like this.