Ja Morant putting best foot forward a must if he's going to get out of Memphis

Ja Morant has said publicly that he doesn’t want to be traded, but as the Memphis Grizzlies find themselves back in the United States to prepare for a mid-week visit from the Atlanta Hawks, circumstances have both changed and remain the same as they were when the team departed for Europe last week.

With just over two weeks remaining until the Feb. 5 trade deadline, most are guessing and relaying what they’re told, but I still see Morant’s days with the Grizzlies as numbered. In order for Memphis to get the best deal in exchange for his services, it’s important that everyone puts on their Sunday best, which is why it was great for all parties that Morant was at his best this past Sunday.

The 26-year-old point guard neatly orchestrated a blowout of the Orlando Magic by getting his team off to a brilliant start. Inside of a quarter, he had a split on Memphis’ Eurotrip wrapped up, dropping jaws and raining 3-pointers down in a 126-109 rout in which he led everyone with 24 points and 13 assists.

Morant can now be considered completely healed from a calf contusion suffered on Jan. 2 in L.A. Word is he could’ve played much sooner than Sunday’s return in London’s O2 Arena, which may be a hearsay but is nevertheless now a moot point. You don’t play like Morant did against the Magic and then go back to sitting and watching.

No, the Grizzlies aren’t going to give Morant away. As we saw in England this past weekend, when he’s at his best, he makes them better. However, it looks like he’s lost the support of the front office that you need to overcome things like conduct detrimental to the team.

An article from Sportsnet Canada's Michael Grange discussing GM Bobby Webster's first season in charge of the Raptors had a Morant nugget that is important to consider.

"Are the Raptors in the market for Morant, the talented 26-year-old Memphis Grizzlies point guard with a long track record of injuries, suspensions and - this season, anyway - indiffernt play?," wrote Grange. "'No,' was the succinct answer one insider put to me."

The tightrope Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman must walk requires precision. He’s got to get the most for Morant, which means games like the one he put together in London only help the cause. Morant can’t say he wants out since that would damage Memphis’ bargaining position and his standing with a fan base that loves him for who he is and has rewarded his loyalty with their own.

How long Morant remains with the Grizzlies remains to be seen, but I’ve compared his situation to Kobe Bryant’s trade demand from the Lakers in 2007, which came after someone leaked that he was the reason for Shaquille O’Neal getting traded years earlier. That was peak NBA drama and unfolded while Twitter was in its infancy and other go-to social media platforms weren’t a reality. As we all know, Bryant retired after putting in two decades with the Lakers.

Everything around Morant has been tied to rumors, like the one that it was his discontent with Taylor Jenkins that got him fired with a playoff spot wrapped up 10 months ago. There was a lot of noise around questionable Jenkins’ decisions over rotations and the team’s offense, so even though Morant got blamed, when he called it a “business” thing and claimed surprise, he had plausible deniability to hang his hat on not having anything to do with the move.

Morant had new coach Tuomas Iisalo’s back during his interim run and after he was promoted until he didn’t, and it’s clear that those two aren’t on the same page. Morant appearing to milk this calf contusion makes it seem like he's prioritizing his health over playing for a team that might be actively shopping him. That’s why it’s easy to speculate that this will end with him being moved.

“It's pretty clear that Ja Morant's absence in the Berlin game was his choice. The NBA wanted him to play…If the Grizzlies had chosen to shut Morant down amid trade negotiations, he wouldn't have played in London & they likely would’ve been fined by the league.” @ChrisHerrington pic.twitter.com/Dn4fBTi2dc
— Dru (@dru_star) January 20, 2026

The Morant trade drama is a dance where you can't really trust everything you see or hear. Some insiders are saying they've been told this team and that team are out on the Morant sweepstakes, but why would any suitors say they're interested? From Morant's standpoint, what good does it do him to continue to look like a malcontent?

“Ja has made it very clear he does not want to get traded. He wants to stay,” veteran NBA scribe Marc Stein said on SiriusXM on Tuesday. “The reality is I don’t think there is a huge market for him. I don’t think there’s a trade the Grizzlies could make to sell to their fans. He wants to say but he also wants to have more say like he used to. The franchise does not revolve around Ja Morant anymore like it used to.”

Stein was present at O2 Arena and asked Morant about his preference, which drew the response below referencing Morant’s massive Grizzlies tattoo on his back and his desire to stay put.

Ja Morant’s answer when asked by @TheSteinLine on where he wants things to go from here

“Anybody who in here knows me knows I’m a very loyal guy. I have a logo on my back (Grizzlies tattoo) so that should say exactly what I want” pic.twitter.com/YAkAsJ4mVf
— James Plowright (@British_Buzz) January 18, 2026

Morant might retire as a member of the Grizzlies, but it will be after he’s played elsewhere like Allen Iverson did upon playing for multiple teams after being traded out of Philadelphia.

Few get to be Kobe or Tim Duncan these days. There aren’t many Cal Ripkens and Derek Jeters. Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Morant are among a handful of players who still have the opportunity to play their whole careers in one uniform, but even with daily trade rumors swirling around Giannis too and more of a demand for his talent, it’s Morant whose days with his original team are most likely numbered.

In this will he or won’t he stay soap opera, it's hard to trust anything from teams leaking they’re not interested. Expect the resolution that arrives by the end of February’s opening week to involve Morant in a new uniform.

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