Ja Morant update: Memphis Grizzlies guard joins counseling program in Florida, no timetable for his return
The Memphis Grizzlies may not have Ja Morant for the rest of the season. Memphis suspended him for two games for posting a video of himself on Instagram brandishing a gun. He was then ruled unavailable for the Grizzlies in their next four games to start the process of “healing.”
Morant has been away for three of those four games and could be back on Mar. 17 versus the San Antonio Spurs.
This will no longer be the case following this update:
“Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has entered a counseling program in Florida and there remains no timetable for his return to active play.”
Reporting with @ESPN_MacMahon: Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has entered a counseling program in Florida and there remains no timetable for his return to active play.
After the Memphis Grizzlies suspended Ja Morant for two games, he promptly issued this:
“I take full responsibility for my actions last night. I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down….”
Statement from Ja Morant:
“I take full responsibility for my actions last night. I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down….”
The two-time NBA All-Star also mentioned that he will be looking to get some help to address his emotional and mental state. Morant's decision to enter a counseling program is a huge step towards that direction.
Charles Barkley had this to say about Morant's situation:
“To have one of our brightest stars have three gun incidents, like, one gun incident is one too many. Three is way over the limit. It’s time for Ja Morant to grow up. Next year his new deal kicks in for five years $231 million. Man, you can’t screw this up. You’re one of the best basketball players we’ve got in this league."
He added:
"You’re one of the new faces of our league. Everybody love the way you play. You’re acting like a damn fool and idiot."
Chuck: "It's time for Ja Morant to grow up." https://t.co/IIBR0vR5Pc
Getting counsel, regardless of how long it takes, may be the best course of action for Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies.
"G12's" controversial gun-toting post has already cost him a lot. Powerade has reportedly decided to pull out ads featuring the former Rookie of the Year winner.
NBA insider Nate Duncan has some news that the Morants will not be happy to hear:
"With news that Ja Morant has entered counseling in Florida, it's hard to imagine him making All-NBA, which I think would have been likely without these incidents. Not making All-NBA would cost him about $39 million, reducing his contract from a projected 5/$233m to 5/$194m"
With news that Ja Morant has entered counseling in Florida, it's hard to imagine him making All-NBA, which I think would have been likely without these incidents. Not making All-NBA would cost him about $39 million, reducing his contract from a projected 5/$233m to 5/$194m
Money may be the last thing the Morant family is thinking about right now, given the point guard's history with guns.
The Memphis Grizzlies should still nail a playoff spot without Ja Morant
The Memphis Grizzlies are 7-7 without Ja Morant this season. With just 15 games remaining in their schedule, they should manage to nail a postseason spot without going through the play-in tournament.
Memphis (41-26) is half a game ahead of the Sacramento Kings (40-26) for the second seed in the Western Conference. They are also four games ahead of the Phoenix Suns (37-30) who are in fourth place.
At the very least, the Grizzlies should grab a top-six spot before the regular season ends.
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