It’s been a difficult first few months of the season for both Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. The team is struggling to reach the .500 mark in a loaded Western Conference while its star guard remains in and out of the lineup due to frequent injury issues. Now, Morant is set to miss some extended time.
The point guard was ruled out for Friday’s game due to an elbow issue — more specifically, it’s a UCL sprain in his left elbow. The latest prognosis from the team says that Morant will miss at least three weeks of time with the injury before being evaluated again.
Any injury is bad news, but this one comes at a particularly key time for the Grizzlies. Trade rumors have picked up in recent weeks surrounding Morant’s future in Memphis due to questions about his team’s ability to contend, his fit on a playoff roster, and a handful of interesting young players with possible upside already on the roster. Finding a fit for the point guard could prove difficult given the $40+ million he’s owed for each of the next two seasons, taking up roughly a quarter of a team’s salary cap.
Given his health, it could become even more difficult to find a trade suitor ahead of the February 5 deadline. Morant has appeared in only 20 of 43 possible games thus far, dealing with numerous injuries which have kept him sidelined for several multi-game stretches.
Regardless of which team he plays for, it’s tough to deny that it’s been a tough season for Morant. The 26-year-old is a two-time All-Star but has shown only flashes of his former self, averaging 19.5 PPG on 41.0% shooting from the field and 23.5% from three-point range. His scoring total is the lowest of his career since his second NBA campaign back in 2020-21, while his efficiency marks are both career-lows. He does remain one of the league’s better creators for others with 8.1 assists per contest with a career-best 44.9% assist percentage, but there’s a reason pundits are beginning to ask themselves whether he can be a star for a true contender.
In the meantime, the Grizzlies are 18-25 after dropping last night’s game to the Pelicans by a final score of 133-127. Following that result, Memphis sits 12th in the Western Conference, 1.5 games back of a Play-In Tournament spot.
