Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is obviously a very talented player, but issues are once again coming off the court. The No. 2 pick of the 2019 NBA Draft has had an up-and-down career, largely due to issues that have nothing to do with his on-court performance.
After the Grizzlies’ 117-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, Morant’s maturity was called out again regarding his postgame comments.
Why Was Ja Morant Suspended?
When Morant was asked about what went wrong in the loss, he told reporters to “go ask the coaching staff.” Morant was then asked if anything else could have been done besides asking the coaching staff, and responded, “According to them, probably don’t play me.”
According to sources, Morant and Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo have had a falling out, with Iisalo questioning Morant’s “leadership and effort” in front of the entire team. The Grizzlies have since described the incident as “inappropriate and dismissive,” and Morant was suspended for one game.
Morant has previously had several gun-related suspensions, which have caused him to be at the center of trade rumors before, and according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, we could see the rumors heat back up.
NBA Insider Believes Grizzlies Should Deal Ja Morant
On the latest edition of the “Hoop Collective,” ESPN’s Tim McMahon, Brian Windhorst, and Tim Bontemps gave their takes on what the Grizzlies should potentially do with Morant now that his production has dipped.
“This isn’t just about ‘wow they’re finally holding Ja accountable,’ I’d say this is about the pain in the a** to production ratio being out of whack,” ESPN’s Tim McMahon said.
Tim Bontemps says Ja Morant isn’t a top-10 PG by talent or production.
“I rather have Darius Garland than Ja Morant…he doesn’t really shoot it, he doesn’t guard, he’s not really available and he’s not as athletic as he was a couple years ago.”😬
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 3, 2025
Morant is averaging just 20.8 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. He’s shooting 40.6% from the field, which would be a career low.
“I’m not sure he’s a top 10 point guard in the league,” Bontemps said. “I mean it’s an incredibly deep position.”
“He’s a top 10 talent,” Windhorst fought back. Bontemps refuted that statement, calling him a “point guard who doesn’t really play defense and can’t really shoot.”
Bontemps did say that he was once “one of the most electrifying players in the league,” but believes that is no longer the case.
“I rather have Darius Garland than Ja Morant,” Bontemps explained. “Darius Garland is not a perfect player by any means but Darius Garland is an offensive engine by himself. He’s a way better shooter.”
He continued, saying, “Like Ja is…in a league where everybody’s reliant on shooting, he doesn’t really shoot it, he doesn’t guard, he’s not really available and he’s not as athletic as he was a couple years ago.”
It remains to be seen just how hot a commodity Morant may be. Obviously, he won’t command the same sort of return he would have had a few years ago, thanks to his suspensions and injuries (Morant played in 50 games last season after missing all but nine games in the 2023-2024 season).
Of course, Morant is still very talented, and at just 26 years old, many teams will be interested if Morant is genuinely on the block.