One of the more brutal casualties of the NBA Trade business is locker-room dynamics. Players who found friends and made a home for themselves in a particular city are, all of a sudden, forced to catch the next flight out. Jaren Jackson Jr. dealt with that in February, and Ja Morant wasn’t a happy man.
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As far as the narrative went going into this year’s trade deadline, the Memphis Grizzlies were expected to trade Morant, considering the falling out he has had with the franchise. But it was Jackson who departed. It ended the seven-year strong Morant-Jackson partnership in Memphis.
Jackson was part of a fairly big package, which saw Utah receive John Konchar, Jock Landale, and Vance Williams Jr. The Grizzlies, in return, got Kyle Anderson, Walter Clayton Jr., Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang, and three first-round picks. Still, that was not enough to fill the hole left in Morant’s heart.
Morant, in a media scrum, revealed that the trade was “difficult.” He added, “I wasn’t a fan of it, but it’s a business, so, like I told him [Jackson], he’s been a pro for eight years now, so continue to be that.”
Of course, the Jazz aren’t in a good place right now to dream of success or the postseason. But neither are the Grizzlies. So for both Morant and Jackson, it’s about riding this season out and then planning their futures.
Morant, however, is in a trickier position. He publicly clashed with Tuomas Iisalo and was even suspended for it. He may very well be on the trade block, and might have even departed had his stocks not been so low in the February shipping season.
However, when asked if he would like to stay in Memphis, Morant responded positively, saying, “I hope so. You would know more than me. The internet is right there. Everything you’re asking me has been on the internet.”
More pertinently for the Grizzlies, Morant also believes he can be happy on this team again. Like the good old days between 2021 and 2023.
