An NBA insider claims he has heard enough worrisome things about Ja Morant away from the court that he believes his Memphis Grizzlies season could be coming to an end soon.
After such a strong start to the season, the Grizzlies have struggled since the calendar turned to 2023. And the team’s recent troubles over the last couple of months have seemingly coincided with some serious off-the-court allegations against their top star Ja Morant.
The All-Star guard got himself in hot water with police in Colorado and the NBA after posting a video on social media of him brandishing a firearm while partying at a nightclub. However, that incident followed reports of violence against a teenager after a pickup game at his home and placing himself in the middle of drama between a pair of high schoolers in Tennessee, both in 2022.
Related: Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant enters counseling program
While he avoided charges in Colorado, he is still serving a suspension from the team as the league investigates possible violations of the CBA from his video post earlier this month. Some have speculated that a much larger suspension could be handed down from the league soon, however, how long it could be is still unclear.
According to one NBA insider, an eventual suspension from the league could last for the rest of the season. On a Monday edition of Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective, ESPN NBA writer Marc J. Spears claimed that Ja Morant has some notable off-the-court issues he may need to rectify first, and it could lead to him missing the rest of the season for the Memphis Grizzlies.
“My prayers to him, that he figures it out. There’s things I’m hearing that I’d rather probably not say on this podcast, but I hope he’s taking care of himself. I’m not really worried about the basketball part for him right now. I’m worried about the human part. … My guess now is — not that you’d bet on this — that he doesn’t play the rest of the season as he takes care of himself”
– Marc J. Spears (h/t Clutch Points)
Ja Morant has not played since the team’s March 3 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Since he has been sidelined, the Grizzlies are 3-2 and have won three straight, including back-to-back wins over the Dallas Mavericks.
On Monday, he reportedly entered a counseling program in Florida.