Ja Morant Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Morant, Grizzlies, Jackson, Wemby, Pelicans

January 9th, 2025 at 10:53pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant made his return from injury on Thursday, as first announced by the team (Twitter link). Morant missed five games with an AC joint injury.

The Grizzlies went 2-3 without Morant, who is averaging 21.2 points, 7.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game this season. He finished with 27 points in a narrow loss to the Rockets in his return.

Morant wasn’t the only Grizzlies player back in action on Thursday, as Santi Aldama and Desmond Bane also made their returns. Aldama missed six games with an ankle injury, while Bane was only absent for Monday’s game against Dallas.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

The Grizzlies got more good news on the injury front, as GG Jackson was assigned to the Memphis Hustle for practice on Thursday (Twitter link via team). That means Jackson has practiced for three straight days, twice with the Hustle and once with the Grizzlies. Jackson hasn’t played at all this season after suffering an offseason foot injury, but was a bright spot last year when the Grizzlies were decimated by injuries, as he averaged 14.6 points while shooting 35.7% from deep as a rookie. He was elevated from a two-way contract to a standard deal after being the No. 45 pick in the 2023 draft.
Victor Wembanyama is establishing himself as the league’s best defender, with plenty of room to grow at 21 years old, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. He’s leading the NBA in blocks by a wide margin. “It just strikes fear in opponents’ hearts,” Julian Champagnie said. “That’s the best part about it. It’s like, yeah, he’s tall. He almost blocks every shot that comes his way. So anybody who’s going to the basket, you got that little double-take to see where he’s at.” In another article by Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express-News, players talked about what it takes to approach a defender like Wembanyama.
After suffering a shoulder sprain, Pelicans forward Herbert Jones will miss Friday’s game against the Sixers, Will Guillory of The Athletic relays (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Trey Murphy will miss his third straight game with an ankle sprain.

Western Notes: Kawhi, Morant, Sheppard, Blazers

January 9th, 2025 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking on Wednesday to reporters, including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said that he was in full support of star forward Kawhi Leonard stepping away from the team to be with family who had been affected by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Lue added that “a few people on the staff” were also impacted by the fires and weren’t with the team in Denver on Wednesday.

“You definitely have to take care of home,” Lue said. “And so (Leonard) totally had my support, 100%. Going back, checking on his family and kids and making sure they’re well. And he got back, and they’re doing OK, so just happy and thankful for that.”

Leonard is still rounding into form after missing most of the first half of the season while recovering from an offseason procedure on his knee. Speaking to Law Murray of The Athletic, the two-time Finals MVP said his first two games back have felt like his “preseason.”

“I’m happy the knee is responding well. That’s what I’m more focused on than anything,” Leonard said. “But, you know, it’s hard to not want to be as aggressive as I want to be on the floor. It’s going to be a time to come. Once my lungs and my legs get there, start building up, I’ll start really assessing my play and seeing what I need to do better.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who has been out since December 27 due to a shoulder injury, has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s matchup with Houston, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Memphis has lost three of the five games Morant has missed within the last couple weeks, so his return – whether it comes on Thursday or in another game or two – will be a welcome one.
After being assigned to the G League this week for the first time, Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard responded exactly like you’d want a No. 3 overall pick to respond, racking up 49 points, eight 3-pointers, and eight assists in his first game with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Tuesday. Sheppard has had a hard time establishing himself as a regular rotation player this season for a deep Houston squad, but Tuesday’s performance in his NBAGL debut was a reminder of his upside as a scorer and shooter.
In his latest mailbag, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link) discusses various Trail Blazers topics, with a focus on trade scenarios. Highkin believes it would be in the Blazers’ best interests to move Jerami Grant before the February 6 deadline, though he acknowledges that trades involving players on big contracts have become more challenging in the current CBA landscape. Highkin still considers Grant the most likely of Portland’s top trade candidates to be moved, ahead of (in order) Anfernee Simons, Robert Williams, and Deandre Ayton.

Grizzlies Notes: Trade Options, GG Jackson, Morant, JJJ, More

January 7th, 2025 at 5:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Reporting on Monday suggested the Grizzlies were among the teams discussing the possibility of pursuing Jimmy Butler, but a Tuesday report stated that Memphis has been advised not to trade for the 35-year-old, who is allegedly uninterested in joining the Western Conference’s current No. 3 seed.

If that puts an end to the idea of the Grizzlies acquiring Butler, what are the most logical alternatives on the trade market for the front office? Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal weighs that question, suggesting three possible paths for the team.

Checking in on Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is one option the Grizzlies could consider, according to Cole, who says focusing on Nets forward Cameron Johnson might also make sense for a team that could use an upgrade on the wing.

Of course, standing pat and seeing how this version of the team performs down the stretch and in the postseason is another viable route, Cole writes, noting that it could benefit the Grizzlies to take a longer look at youngsters like GG Jackson and Vince Williams once they’re healthy.

Here’s more out of Memphis:

Speaking of Jackson, he appears to be nearing his season debut after recovering from offseason surgery on his right foot. The Grizzlies announced on Tuesday (via Twitter) that the second-year forward was assigned to the Memphis Hustle to participate in today’s practice.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant has been out of his sling for at least four days and is doing more on-court work as he moves closer to a return from his shoulder injury, Cole writes for The Commercial Appeal. “It is going to be on the shorter term than the longer term,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said on Monday. “He is making progress. I cannot pinpoint a game, but I don’t think that it will be much longer.”
In two more Commercial Appeal stories, Cole examines Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s growing case for All-Star consideration and details a memorable day for brothers Cam Spencer of the Grizzlies and Pat Spencer of the Warriors, who shared the same NBA court for the first time on Saturday in Golden State and even spent a few possessions guarding one another.
Grizzlies point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. recently spoke to Grant Afseth of RG.org about stepping into a starting role with Morant sidelined, why and how he’s succeeded in Memphis, and the lessons he learned from his Hall-of-Fame father Scottie Pippen, among other topics.

Ja Morant ‘Week To Week’ With Shoulder Injury

December 30th, 2024 at 7:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant will miss multiple games due to another shoulder injury. Morant has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder and is considered week-to-week, according to a team press release.

Morant, who suffered the injury against the Pelicans on Friday, underwent season-ending surgery in January to repair a labral tear in the same shoulder.

Morant has flashed All-Star form in his return this season, averaging 21.2 points, 7.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 27.7 minutes per game. He has appeared in 20 of the team’s 33 contests, missing eight consecutive games in November due to a posterior hip subluxation.

The latest injury will likely prevent Morant from making any All-NBA teams this season. Players are required to appear in 65 games to be considered for major awards.

Morant was limited to nine games last season due to a league suspension and then the shoulder injury.

Another prominent Memphis guard, Marcus Smart, is dealing with a finger injury and is expected to miss at least a couple weeks of action.

With Morant and Smart sidelined, Scotty Pippen Jr. will join Desmond Bane in the starting backcourt. Luke Kennard and two-way rookie Cam Spencer are the top options off the bench.

Injury Notes: Kuzma, Raptors, Morant, Celtics, Suggs

December 29th, 2024 at 4:14pm CST by Rory Maher

The Wizards and Kyle Kuzma are targeting Monday’s rematch with New York for the veteran forward’s return to action, team sources tell Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).

As Robbins notes, Kuzma has missed the past 12 games with a sprained rib cartilage, having last played on Nov. 27. The two sides will determine if he’s able to suit up in the hours leading up to the game.

League executives believe the Wizards are “eager” to move Kuzma before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, as Marc Stein reported last week. However, the bonuses in his contract could complicate matters for suitors operating in close proximity to the tax aprons.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Raptors will have a handful of players back in action on Sunday vs. Atlanta, including swingman Bruce Brown, who will be making his season debut following offseason knee surgery, and starting center Jakob Poeltl, who has missed the past four games with a groin issue (Twitter link via Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca).
Ja Morant will be sidelined for Sunday’s matchup with Oklahoma City due to an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, the Grizzlies announced (story via Tim MacMahon of ESPN). It’s unclear how much time Morant might miss beyond Sunday’s contest between the top-two seeds in the West.
The Celtics will be without Kristaps Porzingis (left ankle sprain) and Jrue Holiday (right shoulder impingement) for Sunday’s contest vs. Indiana, the team announced (Twitter links). Both starters had previously been listed as questionable. Asked about Holiday’s status, head coach Joe Mazzulla suggested the injury was relatively minor, as Jared Weiss of The Athletic tweets. “He’s getting better every day,” Mazzulla said. “He’ll continue to get better and we’ll see how it is.”
All-Defensive guard Jalen Suggs sustained a right wrist sprain on Sunday against Brooklyn and was ruled out for the remainder of the game, the Magic announced (via Twitter). Any type of extended absence for Suggs would certainly be rough — Orlando has already been playing without three of its top four scorers (Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner). Suggs, who signed a lucrative long-term extension with the Magic before the season began, has averaged a career-best 16.8 points per game in 2024/25.

Western Notes: Malone, Brown, Suns, Mavs, Pels, Morant, Kawamura

December 27th, 2024 at 11:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, who was the head coach in Sacramento for a season-and-a-half from 2013-14, didn’t hold back in his criticism of his former employer for the way the Kings handled Mike Brown‘s dismissal, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post relays.

“What really pissed me off about it was that they lost (Thursday) night, fifth game in a row, I believe — tough loss, fouling a jump-shooter — they have practice this morning, he does his post-(practice) media, and he’s in his car going to the airport to fly to L.A.,” Malone said. “And they call him on the phone (to fire him). No class. No balls. That’s what I’ll say about that.”

Malone said he was initially “really shocked and surprised” when he heard that Brown had been fired, but quickly realized the news wasn’t all that unexpected for two reasons.

“One, because as an NBA head coach, ultimately you’re going to get the blame,” Malone said. “When they win, it’s going to go to (Domantas) Sabonis and (De’Aaron) Fox. When you lose, it’s gonna go to Mike Brown. That’s the way it works. And two, who he works for. So I’m not surprised that Mike Brown got fired, because I got fired by the same person.”

We have more from around the Western Conference:

Fines and/or suspensions could be coming after Suns center Jusuf Nurkic and Mavericks forwards Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington were ejected from Friday’s game for their roles in a fourth-quarter altercation (Twitter video link). As Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic details, Nurkic was called for an offensive foul and began heading toward his basket before turning back and exchanging words with Marshall and Washington. The incident escalated when Nurkic slapped Marshall in the side of the head. Marshall responded by throwing a punch at Nurkic as the Suns big man was shoved to the floor by Washington.
In the wake of Thursday’s 17-point home loss to Houston, Pelicans head coach Willie Green bemoaned his club’s “lack of competitiveness,” telling reporters, “We were just soft tonight. Period” (Twitter link via Will Guillory of The Athletic). New Orleans followed up that performance with another loss – its ninth in a row – on Friday at home vs. the Grizzlies and now has a 5-27 record.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant exited Friday’s win over New Orleans early due to a right shoulder ailment. While it didn’t look in the moment like a significant injury, it’s the same shoulder that Morant had surgically repaired last January, so the team figures to play it safe with its franchise player. According to head coach Taylor Jenkins, Morant will be reevaluated within the “next couple days” to determine the severity of the injury, tweets Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com.
Two-way guard Yuki Kawamura has only logged 41 total minutes across 14 outings for the Grizzlies, but the Japanese rookie has made Memphis the NBA’s most popular team in his home country this season. Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal has the story.

Southwest Notes: Marshall, Irving, Grizzlies, Morant, Pelicans

December 21st, 2024 at 11:07am CST by Earnest Marshall

After missing five of his previous six games, Mavericks forward Naji Marshall returned to the lineup on Thursday and will continue to bring an edge to a strong Dallas team, The Athletic’s Christian Clark writes. In 22 games with Dallas, Marshall is averaging 11.8 points per game, but he also serves as the muscle of the team.

Marshall began his NBA career on a two-way deal, working his way up to the rotation in New Orleans before signing with the Mavericks this season for three years and $27MM. According to Clark, Marshall breathed a “sigh of relief” when he signed that contract with Dallas after earning the minimum for his first few years, but he knows his work isn’t over.

“I know it’s a narrow window as far as opportunity and just having an overall career in the NBA. I’m in the door, and now I want to stay here,” Marshall said. “Whatever it takes.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

After missing Thursday’s game against the Clippers, Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is off the injury report and will play, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link). Superstar Luka Doncic will remain out with a heel issue that kept him out of Thursday’s loss.
The Grizzlies sent a mature message in their 51-point drubbing of the Warriors on Thursday, according to Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal. Every Grizzlies rotation player scored and six members of the team finished in double figures. The Grizzlies are 19-9 and second in the Western Conference.
There doesn’t seem to be a need for the Grizzlies to make a consolidating blockbuster trade, even with all their depth, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko opines in a mailbag. They could go for someone like Dorian Finney-Smith of Brooklyn, but the team is firing on all cylinders and shouldn’t blow up the core. In the same mailbag, Iko makes the case for Santi Aldama being Memphis’s fourth-best player and discusses their physicality.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant suffered a hard fall in the second half of the blowout over Golden State and didn’t return, logging just 17 minutes. That mostly seemed precautionary, as Memphis already had a big lead at that point, but he’s listed as out for Saturday’s game against the Hawks, the Grizzlies tweeted.
The Pelicans are still struggling to establish chemistry amid their injury woes this season, and their defense hit a new low in surrendering 133 points to Houston on Thursday, Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes. New Orleans has lost 14 of its last 15 games.
Despite dropping five in a row, the Pelicans are hoping to get back on track with a five-game homestand, Walker writes in another subscriber-only story for NOLA.com.

Southwest Notes: Pelicans Trade Rumors, McCollum, Hawkins, Morant, Smart

December 19th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Dana Gauruder

Reacting to a report that the Pelicans have made most of their roster available in the trade market, head coach Willie Green said he’d address the rumors with the team at the appropriate time.

“Eventually, we’ll have some discussions on what’s true and what’s not true,” Green told Rod Walker of the New Orleans Times Picayune. “But for the most part, we try to block out any noise, any distractions. We’ve got a lot to focus on without that. Our focus is on coming in every day with the right perspective, getting after it at practice, locking in to our film work and getting prepared for our games. Some of the rumors and some of the things we are hearing are out of our control. We’ll do the best that we can to continue communicating with our group.”

Veteran guard CJ McCollum, one of the players who could be on the move, understands why there is so much trade buzz around the team.

“Obviously we aren’t doing well,” McCollum said. “So teams are going to be circling like sharks to try to figure out who they can poach. Our team may be entertaining trades, may not be entertaining trades. Who knows?”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Jordan Hawkins (lumbar spine annular fissure) could return to action tonight for the Pelicans against Houston. He was upgraded to questionable on Wednesday’s official injury report, according to a team press release. The second-year guard has missed the last eight games. Jose Alvarado (left hamstring strain), Brandon Ingram (left ankle sprain), Karlo Matkovic (low back disc protrusion), Daniel Theis (personal reasons) and Zion Williamson (left hamstring strain) remain out.
The Grizzlies could be without two prominent guards against Golden State tonight. Ja Morant is listed as questionable with left shoulder soreness, while Marcus Smart is doubtful due to lower back soreness, the team’s PR department tweets.
Smart has been coming off the bench, but he’s been getting crunch time minutes. That has helped the Grizzlies guard accept his new role, he told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “At the end of the day, you want to be on the court,” he said. “You want to be on the court in the moment of the game that matters the most. That’s the goal. As long as I’m in those moments, I’m not really complaining. I think my resume speaks for itself that it shouldn’t even be a question on whether I’m going to be in those moments or not. But like I said, I can just control what I can control.”

Southwest Notes: Popovich, Thompson, Morant, Boston

December 16th, 2024 at 8:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has released a statement via the team’s PR department regarding his recovery from a stroke and the support he’s received since he stepped away from the team (Twitter link). Popovich mentioned that he anticipated returning to coaching at some point.

“This has certainly been an unexpected six weeks for my family and me,” Popovich said. “As we work together on my recovery, I want to take a moment to share that the outpouring of support we’ve received during this time has been truly overwhelming in the best possible way. While I wish I could get back to each one of you, for now, let me say that my family and I are forever grateful. We’re thankful for our wonderful community, the entire Spurs organization, and our family and friends.

“No one is more excited to see me return to the bench than the talented individuals who have been leading my rehabilitation process. They’ve quickly learned that I’m less than coachable.”

Popovich suffered a mild stroke on Nov. 2. This was his first public statement since the Spurs initially announced he would be away from the team. Assistant Mitch Johnson has served as the club’s acting head coach in Popovich’s absence.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Longtime Warriors guard Klay Thompson scored a season-high 29 points in the Mavericks’ win at Golden State on Sunday. It was the second trip back to his former home arena and Thompson said he was much more relaxed. “Way easier,” Thompson said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Especially not seeing all the captain’s hats. I saw a few of those. Much easier. Felt more settled in than the first time I was out here.” Warriors employees lined up along the walls of the ramp where the visiting team arrives at Chase Center and saluted Thompson with a tip of a captain’s hat in Dallas’ first trip there last month.
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant said earlier this month that he doesn’t want to dunk anymore as he tries to avoid injuries any way he can. However, his teammates are somewhat skeptical, according to Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I don’t think that he’s serious,” forward Brandon Clarke said. “I just don’t think that he’s going to dunk as many on people because that’s when it’s a risk of getting fouled hard or getting hurt.”
The Pelicans lost their 13th straight road game on Sunday but they got a strong effort from reserve two-way player Brandon Boston, who scored 20 points to lead five Pelicans in double figures. “His confidence is growing more and more as he progresses throughout the season,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said, per the Associated Press. “He’s understanding his role. He’s started some games. Right now he’s in the second unit. He’s getting solid minutes each and every game and he’s very confident in what he can do once he touches the floor.”

Ja Morant Prioritizing Health Over Highlight-Reel Plays

December 4th, 2024 at 9:08am CST by Luke Adams

After being sidelined for most of the 2023/24 season due to a shoulder injury and missing time this fall due to thigh and hip issues, Grizzlies point Ja Morant is making his health a top priority. As Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes, that means avoiding going out of his way to make the kind of risky highlight-reel plays that could result in an injury.

Midway through the second quarter of Tuesday’s game in Dallas, for instance, Morant stole the ball and had a clear path to the Mavericks’ net. He opted to finish by lightly dunking the ball, resulting in a few boos from the fans in Dallas (video link).

“I’m not trying to dunk at all,” Morant said after the game. “Y’all think I’m lying. I’m dead serious.

“… Continue to boo me,” he added, smiling. “Hey, I got two points. It was still a dunk. It was just not the dunk they wanted to see. But if they boo me off a little rim-grazer, I’m fine with that.”

According to Basketball-Reference, Morant has dunked just four times in 12 games this season. That’s a well below-average rate for a player who has been one of the NBA’s highest fliers since he entered the league in 2019. Morant still throws down the occasional highlight slam (video links), but he made it clear on Tuesday that he’s looking to minimize his injury risk if he can help it.

The former No. 2 overall pick injured his hip earlier this season when he was bumped in the air during an alley-oop attempt, resulting in a hard fall to the court (video link).

“Sometimes I get knocked out the air and (a foul) doesn’t get called, and now I’m out longer than what I’m supposed to be,” Morant said. “Sometimes the foul might get called; I still hit the floor, but after the game you might feel that little fall. So I just pick and choose, man. Hey, two points is two points. I get it done. That’s all that matters.”

After winning 56 games in 2021/22 and 51 more in ’22/23, the Grizzlies fell to 27-55 last season due to Morant’s limited availability and injuries to several other key contributors.

Memphis has dealt with some health issues again so far this season, but has a deep roster and looks capable of hanging with any opponent when Morant is available. The team is tied for the third-best record in the Western Conference so far at 14-8 and will be looking to reclaim its place as a legitimate NBA Finals contender in the spring.

“My focus right now is do what I can with the team and continue to try to get to 100 percent (healthy),” Morant said on Tuesday.