On Friday night, the Memphis Grizzlies are set to take on the New Orleans Pelicans, as they look to bounce back from a narrow loss to the Atlanta Hawks earlier in the week. The loss came despite notable offensive displays from Jaylen Wells, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Ja Morant, with the trio combining for 58 points.
Looking at Morant on an individual level, he recorded a team-high 23 points and 12 assists, while converting on 46.7 percent of his shots.
In the lead-up to Friday night's action, the Grizzlies have made an early call on Morant's status for the match, listing him as "out" due to a UCL sprain in his left elbow. This is set to be the 23rd absence of the season for the former Rookie of the Year, as he hasn't had the best injury luck as of late.
It was only earlier in the month that Morant suffered from a contusion in his right calf that kept him out of six games, including the Grizzlies’ game against the Orlando Magic in Berlin, Germany, as part of the NBA's global games.
In the 20 games that the 26-year-old has appeared in this season, he is averaging 19.5 points per game on 41 percent shooting from the field, while also dishing out 8.1 assists. His scoring numbers are below where Morant was at last season, when he was putting up 23.2 points per night.
Off the court, Morant has been the subject of several trade rumors throughout the season, with the Grizzlies' front office fully open to trade talks involving their franchise star, as reported by NBA insider Jake Fischer.
While there haven't been any recent updates on Morant's potential exit from the FedEx Forum, if it is to happen, it'd have to come before the NBA trade deadline closes on Feb. 5 at 3:00 p.m. EST.
The Grizzlies are set to take on the Pelicans on Friday night, with tip-off slated for 7:00 p.m. CST.
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