Star players in the NBA are always the talk of the town, whether they are playing on the court or not. Ja Morant hasn't played a game since November 15 due to a calf strain, but his name continues to circulate in trade talks despite his and the Grizzlies' continued insistence on moving forward together.
Some of that is brought on himself because of the situation that escalated between him and Tuomas Iisalo earlier this season. His reaction on the court during that Halloween night game against the Lakers and his lethargic energy in his next two games after returning from a one-game suspension suggested some unhappiness.
However, his loyalty to Memphis has been consistently displayed on social media, and recently, he has been engaged on the sidelines, coaching up his teammates. Despite this, the national media continues to pile on, and a recent article posted on ESPN prompted Morant to stick up for himself and his fellow point guard counterparts.
Morant backs Trae Young and LaMelo Ball
Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks co-wrote an article outlining the trade speculation for Trae Young, Ja Morant, and LaMelo Ball. They confirmed details of what executives around the league feel is the value of all of those players. Yet, each of those players hasn't shown they want out of their current situations.
In what felt like a response to the article, Morant posted a picture of the three players with the captions "strange times out here. stay work." and "love to da guyz." Each of these players is the best player on their current teams at the point guard position, and each has had concerns about whether their current teams can be built around them.
A change of scenery was brought up when talking about whether Morant's value can be salvaged. His injuries have taken a toll on his effectiveness for the Grizzlies, but his struggles to start this season amplified the case for him to be moved. Morant is best attacking the rim, but has settled for more jumpers this season because of the injuries.
Regardless, the Grizzlies organization has made it known that they want to continue forward with him at the helm, and with Zach Edey back, Morant is expected to return to the player who was All-NBA just three years ago. Some of his past issues will linger with him until he changes the narrative, and it appears that he is ready to do just that. He just needs to return to the court.