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NBA media piling on Ja Morant, harming Memphis Grizzlies' trade value

Critics are poisoning the perception of the talented point guard
Tony Mejia|
Dec 30, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts toward official Bill Kennedy during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Dec 30, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts toward official Bill Kennedy during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

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Ja Morant wants out of Memphis. That shouldn't be considered a crime.

He’s been great about not poisoning sentiment against him by playing when he’s 100 percent and is even practicing with the Grizzlies in Germany ahead of the team’s first of two matchups against the Orlando Magic in a few days.

Whether he plays another minute for Memphis remains to be seen, but it’s very obvious he needs to hope there’s a team out there more willing to take a chance on him than some of the league’s most popular media members. As this saga has unfolded, many former players have used their platforms to link Morant to the Miami Heat as a place where he can thrive.

NBA insider Rachel Nichols casually dropped that she’s heard he’d Morant would like to play for Miami. To say she was dubious it would be a good fit would be kind.

“Heat culture is not boot camp for wayward souls. It is not, oh gee, don’t worry, the Heat will clean him up. Heat culture is, ‘we are tough, and we are disciplined, and you either play by our rules or you leave and go home,” Nichols said on Open Floor, SI’s NBA Show hosted by veteran writer Chris Mannix. “It is not ‘we are not here to babysit you and hope you get up to our level.’ That’s why the players who have worked there have really worked. 

“Ja Morant and the way he approaches the game, seems to me to be the opposite. I used to live in Miami. I used to cover that team. It just seems to me to be the opposite of what that team represents and stands for. I know he wants to go down there, from what I’ve heard. I just can’t imagine that would be a smart move, and putting him there with all the off-court problems he’s had, I can’t imagine that would be a smart move.”

Morant has been a knucklehead in the past. There’s no question about that. After multiple incidents, Morant was warned by commissioner Adam Silver to cut out the nonsense on and went on Instagram Live a few months later and acted like a buffoon, flashing a gun and drawing a 25-game suspension. 

That was in 2023. It is over two years later and we haven’t seen any incidents. Morant’s biggest sins are disagreeing with his coaches, which led to Taylor Jenkins’ firing and a feeling that he and current head coach Tuomas Iisalo won’t be able to co-exist. None of this drama regarding Morant is anything we haven't seen before, but all the chatter isn't helping his trade value or doing Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman any favors.

On the floor, he’s had some sloppy turnovers and a brutal stretch from 3-point range to open the season. He hit six of his first 51 shots from beyond the arc. Over his last six games, he’s 6-for-17, “raising” his average to 20.8 percent.

His shooting struggles are a valid criticism. Nichols hinting that Morant doesn’t work hard is not.

“How do you think the conversation would go the first time Pat Riley would say to Ja Morant, ‘you need to go get your body fat measured, we do that three times a week here,” Nichols said.

Body fat wouldn’t be a concern for Morant. Challenging his head coach, which in Miami would be Erik Spoelstra, wouldn’t be a concern given that he’s one of a handful of guys around the league who is beyond reproach in being entrenched as the guy in charge.

By all means, this isn’t at all an attack on Nichols, who has covered the league for decades. It is, however, a criticism of how Morant is currently being covered. It’s reminiscent of so many cases over the years where a picture is presented to fit a narrative. Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony – all have dealt with naysayers. Morant has approached their level only in terms of hype of what some felt he could be.

Morant came into the NBA as a No. 2 pick. Like Zion Williamson, Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, Morant’s story is still being written even as some have pulled the plug on believing in him. That’s fine. It’s not a media member’s job to cheerlead. It’s also not great to pile on and kick someone while they’re down.

I’ve spoken to many executives, on and off the record. Stating that sources are dumping on a player by doubting they would be worth the headache and doing so anonymously is a tough look. Does it happen in casual conversation? Absolutely. To go out there and casually mention that on a high-profile platform isn’t being informative, it’s acting like you’re running Perez Hilton’s old blog that used to dish like the burn book on ‘Mean Girls.’

Morant isn’t as athletic at 26 as he was at 22? This is a player that has won games at the buzzer for Memphis this season. He just went out and scored 40 points on 16-for-22 shooting in his final game of 2025. Why is Morant being treated like the 33-year-old Iverson finishing up with Denver, Detroit and ironically Memphis before his farewell tour concluded in Philly back in ‘09?

Pulling no punches, the way Morant is being slandered as he looks for a new team the way so many people before him in this league have when disharmony set in is unfair. I remember being in a San Antonio hotel room talking to league sources about Kobe’s very public trade demand out of L.A. The prevailing sentiment was that he was a selfish jerk, right?

In my opinion, Lou Williams has the right idea, and the reason why so many in the media are being shunned by the audiences they aim to reach is their willingness to pile on to narratives. Desmond Bane, a teammate of Morant's in Memphis his entire career prior to this summer's trade to the Orlando Magic, feels his former backcourt partner just needs a fresh start. You don't hear guys who have played with Morant ever question his loyalty or work ethic, which speaks volumes.

As for Morant and Heat culture?

The Heat are currently languishing through a tough stretch after a great start, entering Tuesday’s home date with Phoenix on a three-game losing streak. Miami is one loss away from dipping back to .500 if it falls for a fourth straight time, which would put them in jeopardy of its first losing record since starting 0-1. 

Miami lost home playoff games by a combined margin of 92 points as recently as April. Bam Adebayo, the consummate pro and unquestioned captain and leader, is currently drawing a massive amount of criticism due to an offensive slump.


Could Spoelstra reach Morant? Could structure help a guy who has lacked discipline in the past reach his full potential in a mutually beneficial relationship? Maybe we shouldn’t collectively be so dismissive of that possibility. As things stand, Morant is going to need some decision-maker to believe in him more than many in NBA circles, media and anonymous sources alike, currently do. 

Once that happens, it’s on Morant to repair his reputation the way many before him have managed to.

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Tony Mejia
TONY MEJIA

Tony has covered the NBA since 2005, with stops at CBS Sports and Vegas Insider. He is a graduate of University of Central Florida.

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