Memphis Grizzlies fans were worried that the Desmond Bane trade in June was the beginning of a rebuild for the team, thinking that a Ja Morant or Jaren Jackson Jr. trade would be next. Morant shut that speculation down, tweeting, "& ima be in dat 901."
Morant wants to be in Memphis, and Memphis wants him to stay. Morant is perhaps the most electric player to ever suit up for the Grizzlies, elevating Memphis to one of the most exciting squads in the league before injuries decimated the team the past couple of seasons.
There have been bumps along the road for Morant that haven't pertained to the injuries he's dealt with, but two NBA suspensions. The Grizzlies have stuck by Morant's side through it all. If they felt as if they'd be better off without him, a trade would've happened by now.
After a bumpy past two seasons that included one playoff appearance (a sweep) and what felt like endless season-ending injuries, fans feel hopeful again about what's to come next season. The West is stacked, with teams like the Rockets and Nuggets retooling their roster to compete with the defending champs, but as long as the Grizzlies have a healthy Morant (and JJJ), Memphis can make some noise.
Ja Morant wants to remain with the Grizzlies
It was only two years ago that Morant and Memphis were the talk of the league, winning 56 games and advancing to the second round of the playoffs. Morant averaged a career-high 27.4 points per game that season. He followed that up by averaging 26.2 points per game in a season that ended in the first round at the hands of the Lakers.
The Grizzlies haven't looked like the same team since then. In the ever-changing world of the NBA, if something isn't going right, a trade must happen, right? Technically, Memphis did make a trade, but it was Bane, not Morant, the team's star.
Morant has played a combined 59 games the past two seasons, but he's healthy and ready to go for the upcoming season. His presence alone is enough to draw fans of every NBA team around the country to watch him play. What he cares most about, though, is winning. It's what will also quiet trade speculation entirely.
Let's see what Ja can do.