Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) during an NBA game.
Key Points
Morant has played only 14 games this season, fueling trade rumors and concerns.
Ja Morant has played in the Memphis Grizzlies’ last two games. The two-time All-Star recently returned from a three-week absence due to a lingering calf issue. Unfortunately, he suffered another injury on Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers. He tweaked his ankle in the fourth quarter and was forced to leave the game, finishing with 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting, three rebounds, four assists, a steal and one block in 21 minutes of play.
The Grizzlies are back in action on Wednesday in a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team took to social media on Tuesday to announce Morant’s status for that game.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12)
Morant has been limited to just 14 games so far this season. During that stretch, the 6-foot-2 point guard has produced averages of 17.7 points on 35.7% shooting, 3.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 28.0 minutes per game.
Morant has also been linked to a potential Memphis exit prior to the February trade deadline. The Grizzlies recently suspended him for conduct detrimental to the team. Upon his return, he admitted that he no longer found joy playing for Memphis, which added fuel to the trade rumors.
For now, Morant is still a Grizzly. However, it looks like he is heading toward another injury absence. This is after Memphis announced on Tuesday that Morant is questionable to play against the Wolves on Wednesday due to a left ankle sprain.
This will potentially be Morant’s 13th missed game for the Grizzlies this season. The questionable tag means that there is still a chance that he suits up, but it would not be a surprise if Morant ends up sitting out again. It’s also possible that this new injury will force him to miss multiple games again.
On the bright side, the fact that he’s questionable can still be considered a positive as opposed to Memphis ruling him out entirely.
The silver lining for the Grizzlies is that Brandon Clarke, who has yet to make his season debut after undergoing offseason surgery on his right knee, has been upgraded to questionable. Clarke is closing in on his return to action, which comes just in time with Zach Edey on the shelf.
Memphis will be on the road for Wednesday’s game against Minnesota, with tip-off from Target Center scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.
View post: Grizzlies Announce Ja Morant News After Missing 8 Straight GamesMemphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12)
About the author
Paolo Songco is a senior writer on Athlon Sports’ breaking and trending news team, where he focuses primarily on the NBA and WNBA while also contributing NFL coverage. With more than a decade of experience in sports media, he has written over 20,000 articles and interviewed athletes such as former NFL star Rob Gronkowski and Olympic silver medalist Samantha Peszek. A graduate of Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Management Information Systems, Paolo is one of Athlon’s most prolific and trusted voices in basketball coverage.