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The sharks are circling.
Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant has been clearly frustrated this season, and other teams have taken notice. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, a couple of teams in the Western Conference, including the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings are closely monitoring Morant’s situation in Memphis in case he becomes available for trade.
Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets aren’t expected to pursue the Grizzlies guard despite their need for some depth at the point guard position.
There has been no reporting that Morant is available at this point in time, but it certainly seems like he and the Grizzlies could be headed towards divorce in the near future.
From Amick:
“The Minnesota Timberwolves, per a team source, are one. Ditto for the Sacramento Kings. The Grizzlies’ next opponent, the Houston Rockets, need a point guard after losing Fred Van Vleet to a torn ACL in the preseason but, per a team source, are unlikely to pursue him. That’s just a small sample size of what might be out there, and not out there, if the Morant sweepstakes ever actually begin.”
Morant recently served a team-imposed one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. Upon his return, he told media members that he wasn’t playing with his usual joy this season.
Those comments sound a whole lot like comments Jimmy Butler made last season shortly before he was traded from Miami to Golden State. When a star player starts talking about a lack of joy, it usually means that their days with their current franchise are numbered.
It’s still early, but the Grizzlies have gotten off to a 3-5 start to the current campaign. If they continue to sputter, perhaps the front office will get more serious about potentially trading Morant and rebooting the roster. As currently constructed, the Grizzlies don’t look like a legitimate contender in the competitive conference in the West.
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