3 trades Grizzlies can make to survive Ja Morant suspension
By Kyle Delaney
In light of Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension, here are three trades the Memphis Grizzlies can make to salvage next season.
It was recently announced that Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant would be suspended for 25 games to start the 2023-2024 season due to conduct detrimental to the league. After a video of Morant brandishing a firearm circulated on Instagram in May, social media entered into a frenzy and the Grizzlies were forced to take action.
Earlier in the 2022-2023 season, Ja received an eight-game suspension for another incident involving an appearance of a gun on social media.
This past season, Morant averaged 26.2 points and helped Memphis secure the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. But, if there’s a silver lining it’s that Ja’s absence is not new for the Grizzlies. Morant has never played more than 67 games in a regular season. Last season, without Ja, the Grizzlies finished 11-10.
With Ja sitting out, there is an obvious lack of offensive firepower for the Grizzlies. In response to Morant’s suspension, here are three trades the Grizzlies could make.
3. Memphis brings back Grayson Allen and adds Jevon Carter
Tyus Jones is more than capable of filling in for Morant as the starting point guard. But, what do you do when Tyus comes out of the game? Given Ja’s absence, their depth chart will be thin at the point guard position. So if Memphis wants to stay relevant, they’ll need to add to their backcourt.
Jevon Carter’s 2023-24 player option is only worth $2.23 million. The reported expectation is that he could get a lot more money on the open market should Carter opt out. He’ll have to decide by June 29th regarding that matter.
With this trade, Memphis simultaneously adds to its offense and defense while Milwaukee gets younger. They were the oldest team in the league last year. The addition of Grayson Allen and Jevon Carter to Memphis’ 10th-ranked defense will only strengthen their championship chances.