Ja Morant
Getty
Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies is dealing with a sprained UCL in his left elbow.
The Memphis Grizzlies will be without star point guard Ja Morant for an extended period after the NBA All-Star break. Morant is still dealing with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow, which he suffered on January 21 against the Atlanta Hawks.
In a medical update from the team on Wednesday, Morant was ruled out for at least two more weeks due to his left elbow injury. He is making progress and remains committed to his rehabilitation. However, he is experiencing discomfort, so the Grizzlies went with a more cautious approach.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported in late January that Morant would be out for three weeks because of his elbow injury. The guard stayed in Memphis past the trade deadline.
Teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. ended up getting sent to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and three first-round draft picks. The Jazz also acquired Jock Landale, John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr.
Morant Expected to Get Traded This Offseason
The Memphis Grizzlies attempted to trade Ja Morant before the February 5 deadline, with teams like the Miami Heat linked to the disgruntled guard. However, the injury and not getting the offer they wanted meant that Morant would be staying in Memphis for now.
According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, the Grizzlies are reportedly going to attempt to trade Morant in the offseason. The franchise is showing patience in the process of parting ways with its once-prized player.
Morant has only played in 20 games this season, averaging 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.0 steals. His relationship with coach Tuomas Iisalo went sour, which has seemingly affected his play on the court. He was shooting a career-low 41.0% this season.
Due to what the Atlanta Hawks got for Trae Young from the Washington Wizards, the market for smaller-statured guards wasn’t has high as it was before. The Hawks settled for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert for their former franchise player.
Cedric Coward Defends Morant From Critics
Ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies’ first game after the All-Star break on Thursday against the Utah Jazz, rookie guard Cedric Coward had a message for Ja Morant’s critics.
Coward, who is one of the young pillars of the Grizzlies, defended Morant from the negativity surrounding his attitude this season.
“If you want to say all the negative connotations about him, you’re dead wrong and you need to keep your thoughts to yourself,” Coward said, via Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “Ja is one of the best people I’ve ever met. One of the best people to be around. … What people portray him as is not what he is.”
Coward added that Morant’s character off the court isn’t the same as what the media portrays him to be. He shared how his young veteran helped him during December’s unexpected snowstorm in Memphis, offering to buy groceries for him.
The 22-year-old guard has been a revelation for the Grizzlies, averaging 13.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.