Grizzlies’ Surprise Move: 25-Year-Old Emerges as New Priority Over Ja Morant?

 

Grizzlies’ Surprise Move: 25-Year-Old Emerges as New Priority Over Ja Morant?

 

This offseason, the Memphis Grizzlies have established themselves as the undisputed leaders.

 

The chain reaction began with a trade that sent Desmond Bane to Orlando in exchange for Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and other first-round picks.

 

After that, Memphis wasted no time in doubling down, quickly acquiring its remaining core members and establishing its long-term course of action.

 

Ja Morant’s future is the biggest unsolved mystery in the franchise and the only question that has no clear resolution.

 

The rumor mill had it that All-Star big Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Memphis Grizzlies were nearing an agreement on a five-year, $240 million extension and renegotiation, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who broke the news a little over a month ago.

 

The star, who is 25 years old, will remain with the organization until the 2028–29 season thanks to this expensive deal. He has the option to participate in the last year. The Grizzlies weren’t just trying to show off their star power by offering Jackson a massive contract deal; they were also sending a statement about their priorities.

 

 

The five-year, $197 million contract that Ja Morant, another star point guard, is now on is up for renewal at the end of the 2027–28 season. But nobody in charge of the operation opted to fire the shot. It’s because the Grizzlies don’t see Morant as their future star, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps.

 

 

They took a wait-and-see attitude to committing to Ja Morant for the long run, but this summer was all about committing to Jaren Jackson Jr. for the long haul and trying to retrofit the roster around him.

 

 

I guess you might say that’s worth something. A comment made by Bontemps was made on the podcast by Brian Windhorst and the Hoop Collective.

 

 

Brian Windhorst noted that Memphis may not have extended Ja Morant simply because he still has three years left on his contract. But as Tim Bontemps pointed out, bypassing an eligible extension for your franchise star is significant.

 

 

The decision gains weight considering reports that surfaced before the season ended, suggesting the Grizzlies were exploring the idea of moving on from Morant amid his off-court controversies.

 

So, this could be an indication that the front office has decided to make Jaren Jackson Jr. their franchise player, and Ja Morant has taken a backseat. Last season, Morant averaged 23.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists.

However, he has struggled with injuries, featuring in only 50 games. The six-foot-ten forward, on the other hand, wrapped up the season averaging 22.2 points along with 5.6 rebounds and two assists.

Now, pair Morant’s poor injury record with controversies (like the hand grenade celebration and flashing weapons on social media could be the reasons why Memphis has elected to wait-and-watch whether to extend him for the long haul.

However, what if the franchise decides to move on from the point guard? What could be the potential landing spots for Ja Morant?

 

Ja Morant’s potential landing spots, if Memphis decides to trade the star guard

With the Memphis Grizzlies front office seemingly viewing  Jaren Jackson Jr. as the new face of the franchise after offering him a massive five-year deal, everyone might be wondering: What’s next for Ja Morant? Well, even though Memphis might not view the 26-year-old in the same light as they once did, there won’t be a shortage of potential suitors if they were to be willing the point guard.

Toronto Raptors:

Starting with the Raptors, who not only have quite a long list of tradable assets, but also several draft picks, something the Grizzlies might be interested in. But that’s not all.

With Toronto not being able to reach anywhere near its 2019 season when Kawhi Leonard and Co. won the chip for the team, Morant could be the piece that might be key to restoring the team’s lost glory.

Heat of Miami: The Heat are another team that could be interested in signing the superstar point guard. Rebuilding their squad is a priority for the Heat, who dealt with the Jimmy Butler scenario last season.

The Heat also have Tyler Herro as their top choice at point guard, so where Morant fits in with the squad is a big question mark about this trade.