Ja Morant‘s 25-game suspension was a result of his failure to live up to promises he made when he met with Commissioner Adam Silver in March, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.
During that hour-long session, which was also attended by NBA vice president Joe Dumars and NBPA leader Tamika Tremaglio, Morant blamed his first gun-related incident on an abundance of alcohol at a Denver-area strip club. The Grizzlies guard was described as “humble and contrite” during the meeting, and he convinced Silver that his regret over the matter was legitimate.
Their meeting wasn’t mentioned when Silver announced Morant’s latest punishment on Friday, but Amick believes the commissioner felt betrayed when he saw Morant repeat the same mistake. League sources tell Amick that Silver’s decision was only related to the two gun incidents and not the numerous other cases of alleged questionable behavior by Morant. Amick adds that a lawsuit involving the alleged assault of a teenager is still working its way through the court system, and the results could affect the decision on when Morant will be reinstated.
There’s more from Memphis:
- A source also tells Amick that the NBPA’s objection to Morant’s suspension is related to the vagueness of “certain conditions” that Morant will be required to meet before he resume playing. The union would have been more comfortable with something in the 16-game range, which would have doubled his first suspension, according to Amick’s source.
- The Grizzlies will benefit from the addition of a third two-way player in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, writes Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal. Memphis only has one roster spot open heading into the draft, where it holds picks No. 25, 45 and 56. Cole suggests that Vince Williams Jr.‘s two-way slot feels safe because he was drafted in the second round last year and the organization likes his potential as a shooter. The second two-way spot currently belongs to Jacob Gilyard, who signed with the team in April.
- Memphis point guard Kendric Davis has a workout scheduled with the Grizzlies this week, tweets Daily Memphian columnist John Martin. Davis has also worked out for the Warriors, Hornets, Wizards and Pacers.
The union should be happy it’s only 25 games. Imagine if Stern was still around and was commissioner. Silver has probably been the most lenient of commissioners when it comes to giving any punishments (outside of Manfred and the Astros of course)
Silver upholding the law. Sorry players assoc…
Time to cut bait and get rid of this idiot
The objection honestly makes sense now, because there is a difference between “you can’t play for 25 games” and “you have to do all this stuff and then if it’s been 25 games you can come back”. Honestly, just levy the games and move on. Counselling, community service, etc aren’t changing Ja.
But that’s also why they shouldn’t be nearly as concerned as they are. Counseling, community service….whatever it is, I doubt it’s going to be a difficult hurdle to clear. Just show up and go through the motions.
That said, from a precedent standpoint I can somewhat understand not wanting this to happen to other players. Silver should walk that back and the PA should drop its objection.
What happens next time he does it, a little more than double his previous punishment. So then it becomes a full season?
Great role model to be showcased around the world. A wannabe gangster, going to strip clubs and waving around guns.
He needs a strong mentor to set him straight. A vet he respected growing up. Otherwise he can go off wilding again. Kids with new money. No an easy thing to control.
Really tired of hearing about him. Wish him the best …..
Stern would of banned his father and given Ja 2 years…
Silver is a soft touch and Ja won’t learn a thing from his short holiday to start the season…