Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies has had a tumultuous past few weeks with the team, and things may have just gotten worse.
While he was previously out with an injury and had major speculation on his future, the point guard is now set to miss at least three weeks with an elbow injury, all while he is still floating around NBA trade rumors.
According to the Grizzlies, Morant suffered a UCL sprain in his left elbow during a game against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, and he is now expected to be out past the February 5th trade deadline.
“Morant sustained the injury on a spectacular chase-down block during Wednesday’s home loss to the Atlanta Hawks,” ESPN’s Tim McMahon wrote on the news. “He finished the game, recording 23 points and 12 assists, but was clearly favoring his left arm.”
Morant had previously missed six games with a calf contusion, all while trade rumors surrounding his name reached an all-time high. He returned for two games, but has now been ruled out past the mid-February All-Star Weekend.
Ja Morant Trade Rumors
Morant, a controversial player, is now set to miss another stretch of the season with the new elbow injury.
This comes after Shams Charania reported a few weeks ago that for the first time, the Grizzlies began entertaining the idea of trading the former second overall pick.
His tenure in Memphis has been anything but clean, and while trade rumors tend to impact a ton of players around the league, it was the first time there was real reporting about a split between the point guard and the franchise.
“Multiple teams are pursuing Morant in trade talks, and rival executives believe the Grizzlies would prioritize draft picks and young players in return,” Charania wrote. “This is the first time the Grizzlies have engaged other teams in trades for Morant, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft.”
While there were questions about his relationship with head coach Tuomas Iisalo and several off-court issues, Charania’s reporting indicated that the Grizzlies were finally ready to move on from their former franchise star.
However, since then, the trade market for Morant hasn’t been what they’d hoped. Similar to LaMelo Ball and previously with Trae Young, teams across the league weren’t lining up to make big trade offers for the Grizzlies guard. Since then, rumors about a potential move have quieted somewhat, but they haven’t been ruled out.
“According to league sources, there has been tepid interest in the two-time All-Star guard, in part due to Morant’s issues with availability,” McMahon added. “Morant has played a total of only 79 games since the start of the 2023-24 season due to suspensions and a variety of injuries.”
After a controversial few days while Memphis was in Berlin and London for two games against the Orlando Magic, Morant himself did speak on the trade rumors surrounding his name, giving a telling response as it related to the previous reporting on his future.
“I’ve got a logo on my back, so that should tell you exactly where I want to be,” Morant said after the recent London game. “If anybody in here knows me, I’m a very loyal guy.”
Ja Morant Injury Update
As mentioned, the injury to Morant could put a major wrench in the Grizzlies’ upcoming trade plans. While there were already questions on his value in the trade market, him now being out puts an even greater uncertainty on whether teams will want to trade for the point guard.
He is expected to be out past the NBA All-Star break, and while he has only played in 20 games this season, the elbow injury only adds to questions about his availability. The Grizzlies didn’t crash down the standings without him, as Jaren Jackson Jr., Cedric Coward, Santi Aldama, Jaylen Wells, and Cam Spencer picked up the slack, but their 18-25 overall record isn’t anything too notable.
Regarding the injury itself, it initially didn’t appear too serious in the moment, as he returned to the game in which it occurred, and didn’t signal any major concerns to reporters after it happened.
Have to believe it has something to do with the stinger when he blocked Dyson Daniels shot in the third quarter
“I did hit it on the backboard,” he said. “Just was a little sting, like funny bone. I was good, though.”
However, he missed Memphis’ next game and is now sidelined for at least three weeks.
It’s hard to give an exact answer on whether Morant’s injury means he’s now more likely or less likely to be traded, but however it is viewed, it isn’t good news for Memphis.
The Miami Heat were previously mentioned as a suitor for Morant, but at this point, there doesn’t look to be any major interest in the 26-year-old across the league.
On the season, Morant is averaging 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists on 41/23.5/89.7 shooting splits in what has been another contentious chapter in his NBA career.
Ja Morant Injury Update Spells Bad News For Grizzlies Trade Rumors