The 3:00 PM buzzer sounded yesterday, the text messages have stopped flying and for the first time in weeks, the air in Memphis is… quiet.
Perhaps too quiet.
Despite a whirlwind of speculation and a roster teardown that saw cornerstones like Jaren Jackson Jr. shipped out, Ja Morant remains a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.
But if you think the lack of a deal signals a return to the status quo, you haven’t been paying attention to the smoke billowing out of the front office.
The Heavy Hitters Were “Locked In”
While some national reports suggested the market for Morant was tepid due to his recent injury history and off-court baggage, sources tell me the interest was far more intense than publicly portrayed.
Specifically, the Miami Heat were aggressive. Pat Riley and the Heat front office were more interested in a deal than many believed, viewing Morant as the high-octane engine capable of revitalizing “Heat Culture.”
But they weren’t alone.
Per a source with direct knowledge of the negotiations:
“Miami was locked in, Milwaukee was locked in and so were the Sacramento Kings and the Minnesota Timberwolves.”
The Grizzlies, however, held their ground. General Manager Zach Kleiman reportedly set a high bar, seeking a return that reflected Morant’s All-NBA ceiling rather than his current “buy-low” floor. When no team met that threshold, the Grizzlies chose to hold their cards.
The Post-Deadline Call
The tension didn’t end with the deadline. Sources tell ScoopB.com that Zach Kleiman personally contacted Morant shortly after the window closed to inform the star guard that the team was unable to reach a deal.
It was a necessary, albeit awkward, conversation. For a player who was once the untouchable face of the franchise, being “informed” that a trade didn’t manifest is a stark reality check.
Kleiman’s recent moves suggest a shift in “organizational direction,” a phrase that effectively confirms the previous era of Grizzlies basketball is undergoing a massive transformation.
A Relationship at a Crossroads
Where do we go from here? The vibes in Memphis are, in a word, complicated.
Sources with knowledge of the situation share that there is significant confusion between Morant, his camp and the Grizzlies’ front office regarding the team’s true direction.
With the roster currently in somewhat of a transition, Morant finds himself as a superstar navigating a rebuild that feels increasingly uncertain.
One source indicates to me that there’s a belief that the team may have a thought process of “tanking” rather than building, telling ScoopB.com: “I’m not sure what Zach is doing. This is crazy. It’s looking like a tank to me.”
Despite the friction, there is still a flickering light of optimism. Both the player and the team reportedly harbor a “hope” that they can figure it out—whether that means reconciling for a long-term future or, more likely, maintaining a professional partnership until the landscape changes again.For now, Ja Morant is still in Memphis. But as the Grizzlies continue to pivot, the question isn’t if the explosive guard will be moved, but when.
