The Grizzlies finally see a path forward without Ja Morant. What happens now?

To understand what brought the Memphis Grizzlies to this juncture where they are eager to trade point guard Ja Morant after years of refusal, it’s pertinent to examine the starting point of detachment.

Not even 24 hours after Memphis was swept in the first round of the playoffs last April, Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman offered a candid postmortem on a less-than-stellar campaign.

Advertisement

“Disappointing season,” Kleiman told reporters. “A lot to sort through here. Forty-eight wins. Good for an eighth seed, but who cares? It’s not good enough. … There’s a level that I think everyone has to embrace and be willing to get to reach the ultimate goal here. We’re not close. There’s a lot of work to be done. I need to be open-minded in multiple respects.”

Five months later, Kleiman’s tone had changed. During his media day availability, he still leaned on buzzwords like discipline and consistency in outlining organizational goals, but between the lines it was apparent his priorities had shifted. Kleiman spoke enthusiastically about youth, assets and flexibility. Morant was almost mentioned as an afterthought.

In layman’s terms, Kleiman was giving it one final push with a roster led by Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. Trading Desmond Bane earlier in the summer, breaking up a core that had spent five years together but with only nine playoff wins to show for it, was a bold admittance that the group as constructed had run its course. Jackson, in response to a productive All-Star campaign in which he played 74 games, was rewarded with a five-year, $240 million max extension in the offseason. Morant, who was also eligible for an extension, did not receive one, but was given a new head coach in Tuomas Iisalo, who was expected to empower the 26-year-old in ways Taylor Jenkins didn’t.

Advertisement

What has happened in the three months since Kleiman’s last public appearance, with the Grizzlies essentially at the halfway point of the 2025-26 season, is a multi-faceted realization: a reminder of the difficulties of enacting a two-timeline approach, an understanding of where Memphis resides in the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/the-grizzlies-finally-see-a-path-forward-without-ja-morant-what-happens-now-215415894.html

Author : Kelly Iko

Publish date : 2026-01-12 21:54:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.