Ex-Grizzlies wing issues harrowing take on possible Ja Morant trade: 'You never know'

As far as the 2020s era of the NBA is concerned, Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies have become synonymous like peanut butter and jelly.

Since being selected by the ball club with the second overall pick back in the 2019 NBA Draft, the point guard has quickly established himself as one of the biggest stars in the entire league and, in many ways, is believed to already be on pace toward becoming one of the greatest players the franchise has ever rostered.

And yet, despite all this, the idea that the two parties could somehow wind up splitting apart in the not-too-distant future is still disturbingly being discussed amongst media pundits, with a recent example of such a happening coming on a December 6 episode of FanDuel's NBA show, Run it Back, as host Michelle Beadle begged the question of whether there's "a world in which you could see Ja Morant not on this Memphis team next year."

Though guest and former sixth man extraordinaire Lou Williams was quick to retort with a resounding "absolutely not," stating that "grit and grind and Ja Morant in Memphis" go "hand in hand," fellow visitor to the show and once upon a time Grizzlies wing Danny Green was a tad less confident that such a hypothetical wouldn't become a reality.

Ex-Grizzlies wing refuses to write off possibility of Ja Morant trade

Hinting at his numerous off-court troubles throughout his still very young professional tenure that has already impacted his availability for the team -- currently serving out a 25-game suspension for conduct deemed detrimental to the league --, Green would insinuate that while he hopes Morant learns and grows from his mistakes made, thsee factors alone make it hard for him to write off any such hypothetical.

"I don't think [Morant won't be in Memphis next year] but you never know. I hope to God that there's no more mistakes. I hope that he's turned over a new leaf."

- Danny Green

Despite his hesitancy to side with Williams' "no chance" stance on the subject, Green would still go on to speak highly of his former Grizzlies teammate, stating that he thinks Morant's "more locked in and more serious about what he's doing and also him seeing this and watching him let his team down" will probably make him "hold himself to a new standard and turn over a new leaf."

Even with the three-time champion's ominous analysis on this worst-case-scenario hypothetical, barring any unfathomable circumstantial changes the likelihood of GM Zach Kleiman parting ways with the 24-year-old superstar any time soon is as close to zero as can be.

Instead of pondering on such a horrifying situation, fans should instead focus their attention on the impending reality of the guard making his way back to the hardwood, which could come as soon as December 19 in a road tilt against the New Orleans Pelicans, and hopefully witness him help get the franchise back to their winning ways following a putrid 6-14 start without his services.