Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Zach Kleiman made a major decision this offseason when he traded Desmond Bane for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony (bought out), and four first-round draft picks (two of which combined to draft Cedric Coward. That decision officially put the pressure on an often-injured Ja Morant to be depended on even more this upcoming season.
The injury history surrounding Morant hasn't been anything major outside of the torn labrum he suffered in January 2024. However, his reliability with several other injuries that have caused him to miss significant time over the past couple of seasons has haunted the team's ability to become a title contender.
While Grizzlies fans know the reality of their star player's availability history, an announcer reminded them why he believes that won't change next season.
ESPN's Tim Legler predicted Morant not to be healthy next season
The Grizzlies ran an offensive system for most of last season that didn't cater to Ja Morant's style of play, and was a major reason (among other things) that Taylor Jenkins was let go. However, contrary to that, the team was able to operate without him in the 32 games he missed with an 18-14 record.
The new Grizzlies' head coach, Tuomas Iisalo, will be tasked with getting Morant back rolling to his former All-NBA form, but it could come at a cost. His injury history has ESPN's Tim Legler not believing the Grizzlies will win over the 40.5 win total set for the team.
His reasoning stemmed from the fact that Morant is likely to miss games, and the team will have to revamp its offensive system without another dynamic scorer who can create for others besides him in the backcourt. Ja Morant is one of the best players in the NBA, so of course, the team would be expected to take a step back in the event they lose him for a significant time.
The Grizzlies are at the mercy of both of their stars remaining healthy this season with Desmond Bane out of the fold. Jaren Jackson Jr. is questionable to begin next season after offseason turf toe surgery. However, the team did sign Ty Jerome to bring another scorer and playmaker in the backcourt and re-signed Santi Aldma to provide the additional scoring pop in the frontcourt.
Still, Ja Morant is the engine that will keep the Grizzlies in play for playoff positioning, but any time lost to injury will be a detriment to the team. While the Grizzlies fanbase might not want to hear Tim Legler's opinion, it is up to Morant and the team to prove him wrong next season.