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• Updated May 7, 2026 at 12:40pm

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Ja Morant returned to the lineup and didn’t shy away from accountability. His postgame comments revealed where Memphis still has work to do.

Thanks to consistent off-court issues and declining on-court production, Memphis Grizzlies‘ star guard Ja Morant’s reputation has taken a major hit in recent years, both with fans and apparently also with his peers.

Morant was once viewed as a potential future face of the NBA. Now, he’s viewed as overrated by fans and other NBA players.

Ja Morant Voted One of the NBA’s Most Overrated Players by His Peers

GettyMEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – DECEMBER 30: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies handles the ball during overtime against the Philadelphia 76ers at FedExForum on December 30, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

In the 2026 edition of The Athletic’s annual Anonymous NBA Player Poll, Morant was voted by his peers as one of the NBA’s most overrated players.

In all, 81 NBA players voted in the poll and Morant received 4.9 percent of the vote, which was tied for the fourth-most league-wide with Orlando Magic star forward Paolo Banchero.

Houston Rockets cetner Alperen Şengün was voted as the top most overrated player in the whole league with 12.3 percent of the vote, followed by Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and Washington Wizards guard Trae Young (both got 8.6 percent of the vote).

Morant’s presence on the list isn’t especially surprising after the 2025-26 season that he turned in. On the season, Morant played in just 20 games for the Grizzlies and posted underwhelming production. He averaged 19.5 points, 8.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 steal per performance while shooting a career-low 41 percent from the field 23 percent from long range. While not necessarily bad stats at face value, the scoring and shooting numbers were way down from previous campaigns for Morant.

Ja Morant Faces an Uncertain Future with the Memphis Grizzlies

GettyMEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 07: Tuomas Iisalo head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies talks with Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks during the 2025-2026 Emirates NBA Cup game at FedExForum on November 07, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Wes Hale/Getty Images)

Morant faces an extremely uncertain future in Memphis. He still has two years remaining on his current contract, but the Grizzlies are widely expected to explore trades for the two-time All-Star over the offseason. The team explored the idea of moving him prior to the trade deadline in February, but obviously nothing came to fruition.

Recent reporting suggests that a Morant trade could become “more appealing” for other franchises as we move closer to the 2026 NBA Draft and free agency. So, perhaps trade talks involving the star guard will intensify in the coming weeks.

It remains to be seen what will happen, but it certainly feels like Morant has probably already played his last game in a Grizzlies uniform.