All eyes were on the Bucks’ handling of Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of the 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline, but he wasn’t the only All-NBA talent that was reportedly available. Ja Morant’s time with the Grizzlies appears to be running out after a string of off-court incidents and mounting injuries that have kept him from realizing his tantalizing potential. And yet, 3 p.m. has come and gone and Morant remains with Memphis.
Morant is currently sidelined with a UCL injury that will keep him out until at least mid-February. The 26-year-old has played just 20 games so far this season, after being limited to 50 games in 2024–25 and just nine games the year before. Availability has been a concern throughout his career; the 67 games he played as a rookie in 2019–20 remains his highwater mark. The lingering injury issues certainly hurt the chances of the Grizzlies moving off of Morant and the contract that will pay him more than $87 million over the next two seasons.
