The ongoing saga between Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies has seemingly reached a breaking point. Ahead of the Grizzlies' game abroad in Germany, a video of the point guard getting into an altercation with his teammate went viral. It's just the latest development in an issue that's been brewing since the start of the season, and possibly even before that.
Now, the Grizzlies have ruled out Morant for their game against the Magic in Berlin, Germany. Marc Stein's report says that Morant's absence is due to a calf contusion.
The Grizzlies say Ja Morant will not play in Thursday’s game against Orlando in Berlin: pic.twitter.com/yfSmd92hFp
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 14, 2026
An earlier report from The Athletic's Joe Vardon reported that Morant was irate at the recent rumor that the Grizzlies were shopping him. The point guard reportedly told his teammates that he didn't want to play. While the Grizzlies are able to argue that Morant's absence is due to injury (potentially not getting them in trouble with the NBA), the report does put into question the true nature of Morant's “injury”.
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“Morant’s status has been repositioned toward playing,” Vardon wrote for The Athletic. “He and the team also probably have plausible deniability if he doesn’t, because of his extended absence from injury. Any league investigation would likely show Morant was at one time injured, and the league can’t mandate any player’s return-to-play schedule. However, Morant is also obviously upset by the trade rumor. League sources said he suggested to at least two teammates, and other NBA players, that he wouldn’t play for Memphis anymore, though that could turn out to be false Thursday night.”
The second overall pick of the Grizzlies in the 2019 NBA Draft, Morant's relationship with the team has deteriorated over the last few years. The point guard was suspended by the team just two weeks into the season after he made comments against his coaches. That, coupled with the reports about him and Memphis in the last few seasons, have intensified the trade rumors around him.
The NBA's trade deadline is only a month away now. If there's any time for this quickly-souring relationship to end, it would be then. If it doesn't, Grizzlies fans are in a for a long, drama-filled sesaon.