Regardless of where Grizzlies fans stand on whether to trade or not trade Ja Morant, it is never easy to discuss fan favorites departing. Unfortunately, it looks like the Ja Morant era in Memphis will come to an end this summer. This was a possibility that has been brewing for a few months, but Zach Kleiman's comments all but seal Morant's fate.
As far as draft positioning goes, the Grizzlies should be in a strong position to accelerate their rebuild this summer. But when looking at how promising the 2021-22 season was, it is a failure for the Grizzlies to have gone 25-57 just four seasons later.
The Grizzlies already traded away Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr.; however, it looks like a Ja Morant trade is imminent and that a once promising core in Memphis is no more.
Zach Kleiman was asked today about Ja Morant and had the following to say:
Zach Kleiman on Ja Morant:
— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) April 13, 2026
“I think everyone is on the same page as much as they can be. I’m not going to speculate on potential transactions.”
The writing is on the wall for Ja Morant
The Grizzlies were first willing to listen to offers for Ja Morant back in January. Even though Morant was one of the biggest names discussed at the trade deadline, he ended up staying put in Memphis, and it was Jaren Jackson Jr. who was traded instead. Morant played in the home loss to the Atlanta Hawks on January 21 but suffered a left elbow UCL sprain in the 4th quarter.
At this point, it feels almost certain that the loss to Atlanta was Ja Morant's last game in a Grizzlies uniform. Even though there were some fans hoping for Morant to suit up again this season, he was shut down for the season in late March after getting a PRP injection in his elbow. It is not the way Grizzlies fans hoped for his tenure to end in Memphis, but the organization is ready to go all in on the new rebuild.
While Zach Kleiman didn't explicitly say if Morant would remain a Grizzly or not, his answer makes a summer trade feel inevitable.
Time will tell if it's the right decision for the Grizzlies
Given the fact that Morant has struggled with injuries and offensive inconsistency, his trade value has diminished significantly. To make matters more complicated, Morant still has two years and $87 million remaining on his current deal. It is difficult to predict exactly where Morant could end up, but Milwaukee could be one of the potential teams to look out for.
Some fans believe that it is now the right time for the Grizzlies to move on, while others believe Morant can return to his previous best. It is never easy to have these conversations with such a beloved star like Morant, but it is looking like there will be a new era of Grizzlies basketball starting this summer.
As a Grizzly, Morant is averaging 22.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in 327 career regular season games. The last few seasons have been rough for Morant as far as offensive consistency and health goes, but it will be interesting to see if he returns to his previous best elsewhere. Regardless, time will eventually tell if the Grizzlies made the right choice or not.
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