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Three years ago, Ja Morant was the most electric guard the NBA had seen since Allen Iverson and the Grizzlies seemed like the NBA’s next great contender. But after a bizarre string of gun incidents and a long list of injuries, Ja is now a distressed asset being discussed like an albatross contract, not a franchise cornerstone.
But what is Morant actually worth? That’s the big question with Memphis now willing to listen to offers for Ja.
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Morant had his flaws even during his back-to-back All-Star seasons with iffy defense, a shaky jumper, and good but not outstanding passing. Those skills have regressed since. And as speedy as he is, he hasn’t quite learned how to fully utilize that to his advantage because he lollygags up the floor or record-scratches plays in the half court. For a player that’s so fast, he often moves slow.
Ja Morant’s time in Memphis appears to be coming to a close. (Petre Thomas-Imagn Images)
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / REUTERS)
To make matters worse, Morant has been less willing to use his athleticism to score at the rim, in part to protect himself from hard falls and further injuries. Over his first 12 games this season, he was getting to the rim at a career-low rate. Only 18% of his shots came in the restricted area and 31% of his shots came from 3-point range. But he shot 3s horribly; at one point, he had more air balls than he had made baskets. Morant’s burst was gone and he was being dared to shoot jumpers, before a suspension for throwing his coach under the bus and a calf strain knocked him out for a month.
Since his return, he’s played in only six games as he’s still managing the calf injury. But he had a 40-point game, his numbers are way up, and he looks more like the past version of himself:
Morant is taking 36% of his shots at the rim and only 17% of his shots from 3. That’s aligned with his shot distribution during his two All-Star seasons. And his scoring efficiency is separated by only decimal points from that peak as well. It’s a teeny-tiny sample of just six games, but it’s at least one positive data point in a season otherwise full of red…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/what-is-ja-morants-trade-value-here-are-6-potential-deals-for-the-grizzlies-star-guard-153249335.html
Author : Kevin O'Connor
Publish date : 2026-01-13 15:32:00
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