Ja Morant Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Wembanyama, Mavs, Thompson, Grizzlies

February 1st, 2025 at 9:46am CST by Tristan Tucker

Victor Wembanyama caught the Spurs‘ attention five years ago, when CEO R.C. Buford saw him play at 15 years old, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic writes. The Spurs were able to target a strategy at that point that culminated in the French big man ending up in San Antonio.

“It was the way we structured our rebuild,” Buford said. “It was a step-by-step process. We traded DeMar [DeRozan], we traded Derrick White, we traded Dejounte [Murray], we traded Jakob [Poeltl]. So, I mean, it was just a staged target over a period of several years.”

Wembanyama is well on his way to superstardom, and the story came full circle when the Spurs played in the center’s old stomping grounds in Paris last week.

“The lottery luck, the hoop gods were very good to us,” Buford said. “But the vision of a prospect like that was clearly impactful in the strategy of our rebuild.”

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The Mavericks were aggressive at the trade deadline last season, adding Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington to a team that ultimately made a run to the NBA Finals. This season, it’s harder to find deals that make sense for Dallas without sacrificing at a position of need. Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News takes a player-by-player look at the Mavericks’ situation, writing that while stars like Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are obviously untouchable, players like Quentin Grimes and Jaden Hardy could theoretically be moved for a significant upgrade. Still, depth options like Grimes and Hardy have shown flashes that might make them more valuable to Dallas than elsewhere.
Amen Thompson is continuing to develop into one of the league’s elite defenders in just his second season in the league. Now a full-time starter, Thompson is averaging 13.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. Kelly Iko of The Athletic spoke with Thompson in a recent interview, discussing his fit with the Rockets and changes to his game from last season to this one. “I can be positionless, yeah. I feel like I’m a point guard, but I can be any position you want me to be on the court,” Thompson said. “I feel like that’s such a good thing to have, you know? With Fred [VanVleet] and Jalen [Green] out there, I can be off the ball and thrive.“
Ja Morant missed the Grizzlies‘ one-point win over Houston on Thursday due a shoulder injury. Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian opines in a subscriber-only story that there should be some worry about the star point guard, who has missed eight of the last 16 games.

Grizzlies Notes: Trade Options, Jackson Jr., Morant, Smart

January 30th, 2025 at 5:07pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Grizzlies are in one of the more interesting trade deadline situations, Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. At 31-16 entering Thursday, they maintain the West’s third seed, but they’re also a combined 3-6 against the top four teams in either conference.

Cole ponders several trade options for the Grizzlies, including standing pat and waiting on the returns of Marcus Smart and Vince Williams Jr. from injury. Jimmy Butler, of course, would help solve some of Memphis’ issues on the wings if he softened his stance on playing for the Grizzlies — or if the team was willing to trade for him anyway.

Outside of a blockbuster move, Cole suggests the Grizzlies could look into addressing their turnover problem by acquiring a point guard. Sending draft capital to Phoenix for Monte Morris could make sense, as could pursuing Chris Paul if the Spurs land De’Aaron Fox before the deadline, Cole writes.

In a similar story, Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian writes that it feels like Memphis’ odds of doing nothing at the deadline are greater than in recent memory. At the same time, the Grizzlies need to decide if this season is worth pushing the chips in for or if they should continue to have an eye toward the future behind their core.

We have more on the Grizzlies:

Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. is hoping to make it back to the All-Star Game as a reserve, Marc J. Spears of Andscape writes. Jackson is averaging 22.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks while shooting 49.9% from the field and 35.5% from three. “Think it’s no question,” teammate Ja Morant said about Jackson’s All-Star candidacy. “Any other time they base it off of seeding and all this. ‘This guy shouldn’t get it because of this guy.’ And now that s–t goes out the window when it comes to us. Yeah, I’m pushing for him to be an All-Star. I think he absolutely deserves it. He’s been playing at an All-NBA level.“
Morant was added to the injury report for Thursday’s game against the Rockets, Cole writes. He’s dealing with shoulder soreness. Cole speculates that Desmond Bane would likely slide over to point guard if Morant misses Thursday’s contest, while Luke Kennard would enter the starting five.
Smart is not fully practicing with the team and is still “week-to-week” according to head coach Taylor Jenkins, per Cole (Twitter link). Smart, who is averaging 9.8 points per game this season, hasn’t played since Dec. 21 due to a finger injury.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Pelicans Bench, Spurs Slump, Lively

January 19th, 2025 at 9:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Grizzlies could play again without their floor leader on Monday. Ja Morant is listed as questionable against Minnesota due to right foot soreness, the team’s PR department tweets.

Morant, who is averaging 21.4 points and 7.5 assists, has already missed 18 games this season and is ineligible for postseason honors. He was also unavailable for Friday’s 28-point win over San Antonio.

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The Pelicans reserves have made a major impact during the team’s three-game winning streak, Rod Walker of the New Orleans Times Picayune writes. “This bench is a team that wants to win every minute that we get,” guard Jose Alvarado said. “We know that it can be 10 minutes, five minutes, two minutes or 20 minutes. We’re going to attack it like it’s the (NBA) Finals.” Alvarado led the bench brigade on Friday with 19 points, including six 3-pointers.
The Spurs, who are headed to Paris to face Indiana, will look at the trip as a chance to turn their fortunes around. They have lost three straight and six of their last seven after falling to Miami on Sunday. “This hasn’t been our best stretch of basketball and there are some things we need to shore up, and we’ve played some really good teams and they’ve exposed some things,” acting coach Mitch Johnson told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “We’re looking forward to Paris, but I don’t think we overlooked this team or in (losing twice to) Memphis.”
The Mavericks list Dereck Lively as questionable to play against Charlotte on Monday due to a right ankle sprain, Grant Afseth tweets. Lively has missed the last two games after suffering the injury on Tuesday against Denver.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Murray, Eason, Rockets

January 17th, 2025 at 8:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who was ruled out for the team’s game in San Antonio on Friday night due to right foot soreness, is no longer eligible for major award consideration this season, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Morant has averaged 21.4 points, 7.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per contest this season for the Grizzlies, who rank third in the Western Conference standings, but Friday’s game will be the 18th he has missed this season. That means he’ll fall short of the 65-game threshold required to qualify for end-of-season awards, including All-NBA.

Morant made the All-NBA Second Team in 2022, but a suspension related to his off-court behavior derailed his chances of repeating the feat in 2023, and he appeared in just nine games last season due to a second suspension and a season-ending shoulder injury.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Dejounte Murray‘s 30-point performance on Wednesday in a victory over Dallas was a reminder of why the Pelicans targeted him and gave up a pair of first-round picks – along with former lottery selection Dyson Daniels and rotation big man Larry Nance Jr. – to acquire him last offseason, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. It has been a challenging year so far for Murray, one of many key Pelicans players who has missed time due to an injury — he broke his hand on opening night and the team was 4-14 by the time he returned. “I’m trying to get my fun back,” Murray said. “It’s nothing with the team. Just dealing with a lot. It’s been tough for me. I’m a strong person, but at the same time I’m human. I think sometimes I can forget that.”
Although they didn’t get the win, the Rockets got a boost on Thursday as forward Tari Eason played for the first time in over a month after missing 13 games due to a lower left leg injury, notes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). Eason was on a minutes restriction of 20-to-25 minutes, per head coach Ime Udoka. He ended up playing 24 minutes and didn’t miss a beat in his return, scoring 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
Kelly Iko and John Hollinger of The Athletic explore some possible trade options for the Rockets, discussing why Jimmy Butler probably doesn’t make sense for Houston and considering whether De’Aaron Fox would be a fit if Sacramento made him available. While a significant in-season move seems unlikely, Hollinger points to Malcolm Brogdon or Chris Boucher as players on expiring deals who might make some sense as deadline targets for the Rockets.

Southwest Notes: Sheppard, Zion, JJJ, Morant

January 13th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

A three-game stint in the G League helped rebuild the confidence of Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard, writes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. The No. 3 pick in last year’s draft has struggled with his shot, connecting at 32.2% from the field and 27.9% from three-point range. As a result, his playing time has dropped sharply, with just two brief appearances since December 26.

Coach Ime Udoka explained that Sheppard was assigned to Rio Grande Valley to give him a chance to run an offense and learn how to be more aggressive in creating shots for himself.

“I would say reps are hard to come by in short-minute stints,” Udoka said. “You’re not going to get those looks and what you’re used to getting your whole life, obviously, in high school and Kentucky, not getting the same amount of minutes or reps. And so you can’t live or die on making one or two shots a game. And so for us, when we went with the more veteran lineup, we decided to get him some live action. … But more so than confidence of missing shots, was taking the shots and he passed up some and we wanted to get this aggressive mindset back.”

The move had an immediate impact as Sheppard exploded for 49 points on 34 shots in his first G League game. He averaged 35.5 minutes, 30.7 points, 8.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds on 46.3% shooting during his time with the Vipers before being recalled Sunday to practice with the Rockets. The G League club doesn’t play again until Friday, and it hasn’t been determined if Sheppard will return there.

“I think I learned a lot,” he said. “I think the biggest thing was just getting my confidence back, going down and being able to get up and down the court. Kind of play free, play loose, really, just play the game of basketball and enjoy it. You know, the NBA is different. There’s a lot of great players, so being able to go down and get some reps and just get the confidence back up and stuff, it was a lot of fun this week.”

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The Pelicans‘ one-point loss Sunday at Boston shows what the roster might be capable of doing when it’s fully healthy, notes Rod Walker of NOLA. Zion Williamson was impressive on both ends of the court, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and five steals. “The five steals jump out at you right away,” coach Willie Green said. “That means his activity was pretty high. He ignited our break, our transition opportunities when he was getting steals. His rebounding was really good. It’s good to have him on the floor. When he’s on the floor, we are a better team.”
Scotty Pippen Jr. is pushing for teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. to earn a spot on the All-Star team, per Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda. Jackson has helped the Grizzlies overcome numerous injuries and remain among the top three teams in the West. “I feel like Jaren’s one of the most unstoppable players in the league,” Pippen said. “So, credit to him. He’s been working, you know, really hard, so he’s been doing well.”
In their latest injury report, the Grizzlies are listing Ja Morant as questionable for tonight’s game at Houston due to an illness (Twitter link).
In case you missed it on Sunday, there’s been “nothing substantive” between the Grizzlies and Nets regarding a trade involving Cameron Johnson, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link).

Southwest Notes: Morant, Grizzlies, Jackson, Wemby, Pelicans

January 9th, 2025 at 10:53pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant made his return from injury on Thursday, as first announced by the team (Twitter link). Morant missed five games with an AC joint injury.

The Grizzlies went 2-3 without Morant, who is averaging 21.2 points, 7.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game this season. He finished with 27 points in a narrow loss to the Rockets in his return.

Morant wasn’t the only Grizzlies player back in action on Thursday, as Santi Aldama and Desmond Bane also made their returns. Aldama missed six games with an ankle injury, while Bane was only absent for Monday’s game against Dallas.

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The Grizzlies got more good news on the injury front, as GG Jackson was assigned to the Memphis Hustle for practice on Thursday (Twitter link via team). That means Jackson has practiced for three straight days, twice with the Hustle and once with the Grizzlies. Jackson hasn’t played at all this season after suffering an offseason foot injury, but was a bright spot last year when the Grizzlies were decimated by injuries, as he averaged 14.6 points while shooting 35.7% from deep as a rookie. He was elevated from a two-way contract to a standard deal after being the No. 45 pick in the 2023 draft.
Victor Wembanyama is establishing himself as the league’s best defender, with plenty of room to grow at 21 years old, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. He’s leading the NBA in blocks by a wide margin. “It just strikes fear in opponents’ hearts,” Julian Champagnie said. “That’s the best part about it. It’s like, yeah, he’s tall. He almost blocks every shot that comes his way. So anybody who’s going to the basket, you got that little double-take to see where he’s at.” In another article by Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express-News, players talked about what it takes to approach a defender like Wembanyama.
After suffering a shoulder sprain, Pelicans forward Herbert Jones will miss Friday’s game against the Sixers, Will Guillory of The Athletic relays (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Trey Murphy will miss his third straight game with an ankle sprain.

Western Notes: Kawhi, Morant, Sheppard, Blazers

January 9th, 2025 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking on Wednesday to reporters, including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said that he was in full support of star forward Kawhi Leonard stepping away from the team to be with family who had been affected by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Lue added that “a few people on the staff” were also impacted by the fires and weren’t with the team in Denver on Wednesday.

“You definitely have to take care of home,” Lue said. “And so (Leonard) totally had my support, 100%. Going back, checking on his family and kids and making sure they’re well. And he got back, and they’re doing OK, so just happy and thankful for that.”

Leonard is still rounding into form after missing most of the first half of the season while recovering from an offseason procedure on his knee. Speaking to Law Murray of The Athletic, the two-time Finals MVP said his first two games back have felt like his “preseason.”

“I’m happy the knee is responding well. That’s what I’m more focused on than anything,” Leonard said. “But, you know, it’s hard to not want to be as aggressive as I want to be on the floor. It’s going to be a time to come. Once my lungs and my legs get there, start building up, I’ll start really assessing my play and seeing what I need to do better.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who has been out since December 27 due to a shoulder injury, has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s matchup with Houston, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Memphis has lost three of the five games Morant has missed within the last couple weeks, so his return – whether it comes on Thursday or in another game or two – will be a welcome one.
After being assigned to the G League this week for the first time, Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard responded exactly like you’d want a No. 3 overall pick to respond, racking up 49 points, eight 3-pointers, and eight assists in his first game with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Tuesday. Sheppard has had a hard time establishing himself as a regular rotation player this season for a deep Houston squad, but Tuesday’s performance in his NBAGL debut was a reminder of his upside as a scorer and shooter.
In his latest mailbag, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link) discusses various Trail Blazers topics, with a focus on trade scenarios. Highkin believes it would be in the Blazers’ best interests to move Jerami Grant before the February 6 deadline, though he acknowledges that trades involving players on big contracts have become more challenging in the current CBA landscape. Highkin still considers Grant the most likely of Portland’s top trade candidates to be moved, ahead of (in order) Anfernee Simons, Robert Williams, and Deandre Ayton.

Grizzlies Notes: Trade Options, GG Jackson, Morant, JJJ, More

January 7th, 2025 at 5:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Reporting on Monday suggested the Grizzlies were among the teams discussing the possibility of pursuing Jimmy Butler, but a Tuesday report stated that Memphis has been advised not to trade for the 35-year-old, who is allegedly uninterested in joining the Western Conference’s current No. 3 seed.

If that puts an end to the idea of the Grizzlies acquiring Butler, what are the most logical alternatives on the trade market for the front office? Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal weighs that question, suggesting three possible paths for the team.

Checking in on Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is one option the Grizzlies could consider, according to Cole, who says focusing on Nets forward Cameron Johnson might also make sense for a team that could use an upgrade on the wing.

Of course, standing pat and seeing how this version of the team performs down the stretch and in the postseason is another viable route, Cole writes, noting that it could benefit the Grizzlies to take a longer look at youngsters like GG Jackson and Vince Williams once they’re healthy.

Here’s more out of Memphis:

Speaking of Jackson, he appears to be nearing his season debut after recovering from offseason surgery on his right foot. The Grizzlies announced on Tuesday (via Twitter) that the second-year forward was assigned to the Memphis Hustle to participate in today’s practice.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant has been out of his sling for at least four days and is doing more on-court work as he moves closer to a return from his shoulder injury, Cole writes for The Commercial Appeal. “It is going to be on the shorter term than the longer term,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said on Monday. “He is making progress. I cannot pinpoint a game, but I don’t think that it will be much longer.”
In two more Commercial Appeal stories, Cole examines Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s growing case for All-Star consideration and details a memorable day for brothers Cam Spencer of the Grizzlies and Pat Spencer of the Warriors, who shared the same NBA court for the first time on Saturday in Golden State and even spent a few possessions guarding one another.
Grizzlies point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. recently spoke to Grant Afseth of RG.org about stepping into a starting role with Morant sidelined, why and how he’s succeeded in Memphis, and the lessons he learned from his Hall-of-Fame father Scottie Pippen, among other topics.

Ja Morant ‘Week To Week’ With Shoulder Injury

December 30th, 2024 at 7:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant will miss multiple games due to another shoulder injury. Morant has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder and is considered week-to-week, according to a team press release.

Morant, who suffered the injury against the Pelicans on Friday, underwent season-ending surgery in January to repair a labral tear in the same shoulder.

Morant has flashed All-Star form in his return this season, averaging 21.2 points, 7.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 27.7 minutes per game. He has appeared in 20 of the team’s 33 contests, missing eight consecutive games in November due to a posterior hip subluxation.

The latest injury will likely prevent Morant from making any All-NBA teams this season. Players are required to appear in 65 games to be considered for major awards.

Morant was limited to nine games last season due to a league suspension and then the shoulder injury.

Another prominent Memphis guard, Marcus Smart, is dealing with a finger injury and is expected to miss at least a couple weeks of action.

With Morant and Smart sidelined, Scotty Pippen Jr. will join Desmond Bane in the starting backcourt. Luke Kennard and two-way rookie Cam Spencer are the top options off the bench.

Injury Notes: Kuzma, Raptors, Morant, Celtics, Suggs

December 29th, 2024 at 4:14pm CST by Rory Maher

The Wizards and Kyle Kuzma are targeting Monday’s rematch with New York for the veteran forward’s return to action, team sources tell Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).

As Robbins notes, Kuzma has missed the past 12 games with a sprained rib cartilage, having last played on Nov. 27. The two sides will determine if he’s able to suit up in the hours leading up to the game.

League executives believe the Wizards are “eager” to move Kuzma before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, as Marc Stein reported last week. However, the bonuses in his contract could complicate matters for suitors operating in close proximity to the tax aprons.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Raptors will have a handful of players back in action on Sunday vs. Atlanta, including swingman Bruce Brown, who will be making his season debut following offseason knee surgery, and starting center Jakob Poeltl, who has missed the past four games with a groin issue (Twitter link via Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca).
Ja Morant will be sidelined for Sunday’s matchup with Oklahoma City due to an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, the Grizzlies announced (story via Tim MacMahon of ESPN). It’s unclear how much time Morant might miss beyond Sunday’s contest between the top-two seeds in the West.
The Celtics will be without Kristaps Porzingis (left ankle sprain) and Jrue Holiday (right shoulder impingement) for Sunday’s contest vs. Indiana, the team announced (Twitter links). Both starters had previously been listed as questionable. Asked about Holiday’s status, head coach Joe Mazzulla suggested the injury was relatively minor, as Jared Weiss of The Athletic tweets. “He’s getting better every day,” Mazzulla said. “He’ll continue to get better and we’ll see how it is.”
All-Defensive guard Jalen Suggs sustained a right wrist sprain on Sunday against Brooklyn and was ruled out for the remainder of the game, the Magic announced (via Twitter). Any type of extended absence for Suggs would certainly be rough — Orlando has already been playing without three of its top four scorers (Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner). Suggs, who signed a lucrative long-term extension with the Magic before the season began, has averaged a career-best 16.8 points per game in 2024/25.