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Basketball Insiders
Basketball Insiders
Zach Wolpin

Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman said that Memphis will not trade all-star PG Ja Morant

At 36-18, the Memphis Grizzlies are second in the West coming out of the all-star break. They are 7-3 in their last 10 and will be on the road Thursday night to play the Pacers. 

Recently, rival executives across the league speculated that Memphis has intentions to trade Ja Morant. However, General Manager Zach Kleiman said these other executives were “fantasizing” and that the team is “not trading Ja.”

Despite interest around the league, the Grizzlies have no intentions of trading Ja Morant


With the second pick in the 2019 NBA draft, the Grizzlies selected Ja Morant out of Murray State. Morant won Rookie of the Year in 2019-20 and quickly became a star in the league. By his third season, Morant was an all-star and was averaging (27.4) points per game. During the 2022-23 season, Morant ran into some trouble off the court. As a result, he was suspended for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season.

The 25-year-old only played nine games for the Grizzlies last season. He missed 25 for the suspension and another 48 due to injury. He needed season-ending shoulder surgery. To make sure their all-star PG is healthy in 2025-25, the Grizzlies have used Morant sparingly. For his career, Morant averages (31.8) minutes per game.

In 2024-25, he is averaging (28.8) minutes per game, It’s the first time in his career that he isn’t playing 30+ minutes per contest. Memphis wants Ja Morant to be healthy for the postseason. They have 28 games left in the regular season and are second in the West. For his career, Morant averages (27.3) points per game in the playoffs. After Luka Doncic was traded this season, it’s hard to believe that any player is safe. However, Zach Kleiman came out and said the team has no intention to trade Morant.

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