They walked in together in 2019. One left. The other stayed—held back, to be exact. No one saw it coming. Taylor Jenkins, out as the Memphis Grizzlies’ head coach, just eight games before the playoffs. A storm had been brewing, but the wreckage? Unexpected. And Ja Morant? He’s not hiding his heartbreak. Then again, his emotions have been pretty loud all season. And so, the whispers are getting louder. Can Morant find himself out of the franchise soon?
Meanwhile, Tim MacMahon, Brian Windhorst, and Tim Bontemps talked about the Grizzlies and Morant’s future. In their podcast, The Hoop Collective, the ESPN reporters dissected the situation, thus reducing things down to two things.
MacMahon mentioned: “There has been noise about Ja being unhappy all season long. There has been noise about, ‘Hey! Could Memphis look to move Ja this summer? More so, could Ja look to get out of Memphis this summer? Could Ja look to force a trade or at least request a trade? And would Memphis shop him this summer? There’s been a lot of that.” Interestingly enough, GM Zach Kleiman has declined any such thoughts at the trade deadline. But the question is, what was the degree of truth in this?
Dec 3, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
During a conversation with one of the GMs, MacMahon was told: “I would have told you I thought they were definitely going to. Ja was out on them. They won games without him. They have to be sustainable.” Well, Ja Morant‘s injuries, especially his back problem, have been a major issue this season. And even in his absence, the Grizzlies have won games. Keeping aside the skepticism about his future, there is another factor that is peering into his fate.
Continuing with his trail of thoughts, he noted that the 25-year-old guard is one of the most explosive and lethal offensive threats in open court. But, half-court pick-and-roll? “Ja has been a mediocre efficiency play throughout the course of his career.” MacMahon also noted that Ja Morant is at 0.99 points per direct pick as the ball-handler in his career when using an on-ball screen. That ranks 39th among 56 players to run 5,000-plus on-ball screens as the ball handler since 2020. 39th out of 56!
Well, Kendrick Perkins would also agree with Tim MacMahon’s observation on Morant’s pick-and-roll troubles. Speaking on ESPN’s Get Up, he bluntly said that Memphis has one of the best offenses in the league, but they run fewer pick-and-rolls. “Ja Morant thrives better in what? When he has the ball in his hands.” But this isn’t where Big Perk stopped or the Hoop Collective host and co-hosts paused. Looking at the bigger picture, there is something more serious looming at large.
Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies fate in question: Can an extension soon be expected?
Perkins believes that since Jenkins’s firing, Ja Morant has been “auditioning” to survive in the franchise. Precisely speaking, Taylor Jenkins wanted to run his own offense, but suddenly, the front office began hiring the coaching staff building the offense that the Grizzlies take pride in. But for Morant, his pick-and-roll has been a problem. That’s beside the point. The 25-year-old superstar seems to on track for a contract extension in the offseason.
Ja Morant is “eligible for an ontract extension that could probably touch what, about $300 million?” asked Kendrick Perkins. In fact he’s eligible for a 2-year $125 million extension. Now, coming back to Tim MacMahon and Brian Windhorst, they also discussed the contract situation in their discussion. Windy thinks that Morant, who already has three years left on his contract, may also choose not to agree to the extension, and that wouldn’t make him the “red flag” for the franchise.
.@KendrickPerkins weighs in on Ja Morant’s future with the Grizzlies
“At this point, Ja Morant is auditioning.” pic.twitter.com/d9mLOGHPRT
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 31, 2025
Moreover, the NBA now requires stars to decide on their franchise every two years. Short deals no longer delay contract talks for long. Thus, “It is going to be interesting to see whether he ends up in that contract extension because that is a vibe check more than anything else,” Brian Windhorst said. Meanwhile, MacMahon added: “And the vibes weren’t good with Ja. They haven’t been good with Ja for a variety of reasons—injuries and frustration with officials.”
So, Ja Morant’s future in Memphis is hanging by a thread. His pick-and-roll game is under scrutiny, his emotions are loud, and the front office isn’t bending to his will. The contract extension looms, but will he take it? With the NBA’s new rules and the Grizzlies’ shifting dynamics, this offseason could be his ultimate ‘vibe check.’
The post 2 Major Issues Threaten Ja Morant’s Grizzlies Future As ESPN Reporter Confirms Front Office Frustration appeared first on EssentiallySports.