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Ja Morant
Ja Morant has had a tumultuous 2025-2026 NBA season. He played only 20 games as the Memphis Grizzlies finished 13th in the Western Conference with a 25-57 record.
For ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins, Morant could be out of the league in the next two years due to the incoming talent. He added that the NBA may be starting to give up on Morant, after multiple issues surrounding him.
“With this draft class coming in they’re full of franchise guys. So teams are saying we’re not going to put up with nothing, put up with s**t,” Perkins said in the Road Trippin’ Show. “
“I just saw a video circulate they got another Wemby in France right now at 15 years old. There are levels to this to team valuing guys. It is not crazy to think that in 2 years from now, Ja Morant is not on a team. That can really happen,” he added.
Kendrick Perkins says Ja Morant needs to be careful he could possibly be out the league:
“With this draft class coming in they’re full of franchise guys. So teams are saying we’re not going to put up with nothing, put up with sh*t. You got guys that are coming In not just this
Morant struggled with numerous injuries this season, including calf soreness early in the year and an elbow injury that failed to heal properly even after a platelet-rich plasma injection.
On top of the injuries, Morant had tension with his head coach Tuomas Iisalo early in the season. They came to verbal blows in November, resulting in the team slapping Morant with a one-game suspension.
The two seemed to have buried the hatchet since then.
However, Morant was noticeably absent during the team’s exit interviews following their regular season campaign.
When he plays, Morant remains a contributing piece for the Grizzlies, putting up 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game.
GettyKendrick Perkins reveals Ja Morant’s value to the Grizzlies and the NBA.
Kendrick Perkins cited a pre-trade deadline situation that may have shown Ja Morant’s value to his team and to the league.
Perkins recalled the Grizzlies’ reported attempt to trade Morant last February. Perkins claimed no team wanted Morant, so much so that the Grizzlies would have to attach a first-round pick for a team to consider trading for him.
“It ain’t just Memphis that’s trending off Ja Morant. It’s the league,” Perkins said in the same podcast. “So, you realize that they were trying to trade him at the trade deadline. When nobody wanted him, they were asking Memphis to attach a first-round pick just for them to take Ja. That’s how he is viewed in today’s game.”
Eventually, the Grizzlies did not trade Morant, but the team gave up Jared Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz, leaving the team without some of the stars that made them a playoff contender over the past four years.
Morant still has two more seasons in his contract worth $87 million.
GettyMemphis Grizzlies will get the sixth-best odds in the upcoming NBA Draft lottery.
After a lackluster season, the Memphis Grizzlies will have the sixth-best odds in the upcoming NBA Draft lottery in what many deemed as one of the best rookie classes in recent years.
The draft pick will be an important one for the Grizzlies’ future, which could be a building block alongside the likes of Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells.
Among those who could be picked up early in the lottery are AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson, Kingston Flemings, and Keaton Wagler.
The Grizzlies lost 13 of their last 14 games to end the regular season.
Rob Andrew Lo Rob Andrew Lo is a writer at Heavy Sports and is covering the NBA. He has covered local, collegiate, professional and international sports in various sites. He was the sports editor of The Varsitarian, the official student publication of University of Santo Tomas, and a sports, entertainment, and lifestyle writer for Rappler. A Journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, he has built his voice across both collegiate and international platforms, previously contributing NBA coverage to Fansided and Sportskeeda. More about Rob Andrew Lo
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