“He’s Not A Dirtbag”: Grizzlies Insider Sticks Up For Ja Morant Amid Trade Rumors

Ja Morant, one of the main men of the Memphis Grizzlies, the face and savior of the franchise, now finds himself in a difficult spot with trade rumors linking him away from the team that once loved him unconditionally. There’s tension with the organization, but thankfully, he still has a backer or two defending his actions.

Morant was a superstar whose talent was impossible to ignore because of his out-of-this-world skills, incredible dunking ability, and jovial personality off the court. But his own actions have slowly led to a downfall of sorts, and the last few years have seen a dark cloud cast over his career. Now, things are only getting worse.

The two-time All-Star was suspended one game by the Grizzlies organization after his post-game interview on Friday, November 1, 2025, following their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Ja was grilled by the media about his performance in the game and responded multiple times with “go ask the coaching staff.”

In that same interview, Morant was asked what the team could have done better to beat the Lakers. “According to them, probably don’t play me,” he responded.

The team deemed those remarks “conduct detrimental to the team” and suspended him one game. He will be returning night for the team’s matchup against the Pistons.

It’s a bad look. Two seasons ago, the league was trying to move past Morant‘s social media outburst where he was seen posing with a gun. Last year, the NBA wasn’t too pleased when he celebrated by mimicking a gun and pretending to throw grenades. The image of Ja keeps getting painted in darker shades. But one person still believes the 26-year-old is a good egg.

Chris Vernon, a longtime Grizzles insider and beat writer, opened up about the misconceptions on Morant during a recent interview on the Zach Lowe show.

“I’ve known the kid since he was 19 years old. He’s not a dirtbag. He’s not a bad guy. I think that many times when things like this happen, the bad guy says, ‘F this coach, F this team.’ I would be surprised if Morant is not on board,” he stated.

It’s some nice words by Vernon, but it might be too little too late. Shams Charania recently reported that there is a rift between Morant and head coach Tuomas Iisalo. Not only that, but Charania added that “teams around the league are monitoring his situation in Memphis.”

However, in true contradictory fashion, ESPN insider Brian Windhorst claimed that the market isn’t strong for Morant right now. Whether that means Memphis decides to bench their best player or actually trade him remains to be seen.

Morant’s future in Memphis feels like it’s hanging in midair, and nobody’s really sure where he’s going to land. The talent is still there, and so is the version of Ja that people like Vernon swear by. But the noise around him seems to get louder every season.

Maybe this latest suspension becomes a wake-up call, or maybe it’s another sign that both sides are drifting apart. Either way, the next few months will reveal whether he’s still the face of the Grizzlies or just the biggest question mark in the franchise.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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