Grizzlies general manager makes emphatic statement on Ja Morant’s future with the team amid trade rumors
Is Memphis’ superstar on the move?
No one is safe after the Dallas Mavericks shipped its generational 25-year-old superstar out of town.
2
Surely Ja Morant won’t leave the GrizzliesCredit: GettyIf Luka Doncic could be traded, anyone could be traded.
That was the moral of that story.
Could the Grizzlies be eyeing to do the same to Ja Morant?
Respected Ringer NBA writer Howard Beck recently said on the ‘Real Ones’ podcast that the Grizzlies may be interested in moving off their franchise point guard in the summer, depending on how far Memphis advances in the postseason.
READ MORE NBA“I’m constantly checking in with executives around the trade deadline about like, OK, what we saw, what we didn’t see, what’s next, and in this league, you are always, always, always on the lookout for who’s the next wave of stars that are going to get dealt, right?” Beck said.
“We just saw the shock of all shocks with the Luka deal, we saw Jimmy Butler, there’s already whispers once again about Giannis (Antetokounmpo).
“And somebody out of the blue said, ‘Keep an eye on Ja this summer.’
“I’m just saying it’s one of those things I’m just kind of keeping an eye on if they were to flame out early.”
The Grizzlies are currently the second seed in the vaunted Western Conference and sit at 36-18 coming out of the All-Star break.
They have been one of the best teams in basketball through the first 65 per cent of the season.
2
Kleiman has been the general manager in Memphis since 2019Credit: GettyWhy fix what isn’t broken?
Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman emphatically shot down any idea, thought or notion that Memphis would be moving on from its face of the franchise.
In a statement made to The Daily Memphian, Kleiman put the Morant trade rumors to bed.
“I can’t blame other ‘executives’ for fantasizing about us trading Ja,” Kleiman said.
“But it’s just that – fantasy. We are not trading Ja.
“Continue to underestimate Ja, this team, and this city, and we will let our performance on the floor speak for itself.
“I’m not going to give this nonsense further oxygen and look forward to getting back to basketball.”
Morant is still an elite-level talent, but has had an up-and-down season, in large part due to all the time he has missed.
The point guard has played in just 32 of Memphis’ 54 games.
While all the time he missed has been troubling, it’s clear Kleiman and the Grizzlies aren’t concerned about their superstar.
They are confident that come the postseason, Morant will shine, along with his running mate and potential All-NBA teammate, Jaren Jackson Jr.
Read More on talkSPORTThe future is bright in Memphis, it has been for a while.
It’s now time to start winning when it counts, and Kleiman is ready for Morant to do just that.
Gilbert Arenas makes bold statement telling Ja Morant to join the Lakers!
