Draymond Green Sounds Alarm on Grizzlies 'Next Move' after Ja Morant Suspension Drama

Draymond Green chimed in on Ja Morant being handed down a one-game suspension by the Memphis Grizzlies. The Golden State Warriors star said that Morant's recent actions signal that his stint in Memphis might soon come to an end.

On Monday's "The Draymond Green Show," Green recalled a conversation with teammate Steph Curry where they described the situation as a "quiet protest" by the two-time NBA All-Star. Green also referenced Taylor Jenkins' surprise firing with nine games left last season. Jenkins has been Morant's coach since arriving in the league.

"When you see this, this leaves you in a space of, is this the beginning of the end?" Green said. "When you look at their team, Jaren (Jackson), Ja, those guys, I think they rocked with Taylor Jenkins. I truly in my heart believe that they rocked with Taylor Jenkins. "So, if that's the case and you just up and fire him, you’re almost signaling to Ja and possibly Jaren that you really don’t give a damn what they think about who’s coaching them. And so when I look at this suspension, I say, 'OK, they then hire an assistant coach who I'm almost certain that Ja didn't really sign off on.

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"But they're showing you they really don't care what you think. And usually when they show stars that they don't care what you think, the next move is usually you."

Morant's suspension came after Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo challenged the star guard's leadership and effort following Friday's 117-112 loss to the LA Lakers. Following the game, Morant redirected all questions to the coaching staff. His postgame comments were described by the team as "detrimental."

Morant finished with a season-low eight points on 3-for-14 shooting. He was criticized for his perceived lack of effort during the loss.

NBA insiders shed light on Ja Morant's trade market

ESPN's Shams Charania said Sunday that teams are "keeping tabs" on where things stand with Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. Several NBA insiders shed light on Morant's trade value.

On Monday's episode of "Hoop Collective" podcast, Tim MacMahon, Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst discussed the Grizzlies' situation and said that there might not be a "robust" trade market for the star guard.

"Do you guys find a lot of people that believe there’s going to be some robust market if they do shop Ja Morant?" MacMahon asked (Timestamp: 12:22). Bontemps responded: "No. I don’t think there is one. I think for a couple of reasons. One is all of the things we talked about. The second is he's not just that of a difference-maker at his position."

Teams looking to trade for Ja Morant should also find a way to accommodate his massive contract. Per Spotrac, the 26-year-old star earns $39.4 million in 2025-26, the third season of his five-year, $197.2 million contract.

Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos