The 2024-25 NBA season has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, packed with unexpected trades, coaching firings, and game-changing moments. But one of the biggest bombshells shaking the league right now is the potential departure of Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies. The team recently made a shocking decision to fire head coach Taylor Jenkins last Friday despite his impressive track record, including a 44-29 record this season and a strong push toward playoff contention.
Now, whispers of Morant’s potential exit are growing louder. However, an NBA insider has recently made a revelation that suggests there may be more to this situation than meets the eye.
Too Early to Talk About Ja Morant’s Departure
During a recent episode of “Run It Back TV”, Michelle Beadle posed the question that has been circulating among NBA fans: should people be concerned about Ja Morant leaving the Grizzlies? NBA insider Sam Amick initially reassured fans that there was no immediate cause for alarm.
“They say no obviously. You know Zach Kleiman, the Grizzlies GM, this was probably three weeks ago. My buddy and colleague from the Ringer, Howard Beck, had said that on a podcast that he heard that we should all lookout for Ja to maybe be on the move.”
“I thought it was fascinating that Zach, you know there wasn’t even like a hard report, it wasn’t headlines or breaking news, it’s something that somebody said on a podcast that made the rounds and the next thing you know, Zach is publicly commenting on it and saying, you know the other teams can keep dreaming and we are not gonna move Ja,” said Amick during the segment.
However, the Insider also followed up with an intriguing comparison.
“You know it’s in the again, you know, little bit of the same vibe of the De’Aaron Fox situation, which is like, ‘Keep your eyes on it and see where it goes.'”
Ja Morant’s situation in Memphis is something to keep an eye on, per @sam_amick
“Little bit of the same vibe of the De’Aaron Fox situation, which is like, ‘Keep your eyes on it and see where it goes.'”
(🎥 @RunItBackFDTV ) pic.twitter.com/7WgXFJdB3K
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 1, 2025
To understand the potential implications of Morant’s situation, it’s essential to look at what happened with De’Aaron Fox in Sacramento. Sacramento Kings went off to a slow start to the 2024-25 campaign, and after they lost five in a row in December, management decided to fire head coach Mike Brown. This decision by the front office didn’t sit well with De’Aaron Fox, who was traded to the San Antonio Spurs on February 3, 2025.
“I was like, ‘Yo, I’ve been here for going on my eighth year. If Mike gets fired, I’ll be going on my fifth coach. And I told them, ‘I’m not going to play for another coach. I’m going to play for another team,” said Fox during an interview with ESPN.
While the Morant case is a little bit different, it all falls under the same category of coach-related problems. The 25-year-old is currently averaging 22.7 points and 7.4 assists per game. Losing a player like Morant could set Memphis back for years.
But what is the reason behind the sudden rise in speculation around Morant’s departure?
Reason Behind Morant’s Departure Talk
The NBA community has been buzzing with speculation that Memphis Grizzlies head coach, Jenkins was fired due to frustrations from Morant. However, the real reason behind this decision appears to run deeper.
Morant has publicly expressed his frustrations with the current offensive system, which was implemented by assistant coach Noah LaRoche, who joined the team last season.
“This season, Morant is averaging career lows in touches, average touch length and dribbles per touch this season. Morant’s 22.4 points per game is his lowest scoring average since 2020-21, his second season, and his field goal percentage (.448) is the worst of his career. That didn’t sit well with him, and he voiced his frustrations publicly and privately,” sources said (as per ESPN)
Averaging a career low in touches this season reportedly didn’t sit well with Ja Morant, per @espn
“This season, Morant is averaging career lows in touches, average touch length and dribbles per touch this season. Morant’s 22.4 points per game is his lowest scoring average… pic.twitter.com/va8snZtl9M
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 1, 2025
Now, with Tuomas Lisalo stepping in as the interim head coach, speculation about Morant’s future has intensified. If the team fails to build a strong coaching staff and system that aligns with Morant’s strengths, a trade request next summer could become a real possibility, fueling departure talks even further.
