Ja Morant injury update: Grizzlies star to miss at least three weeks with UCL sprain

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant will miss at least three weeks due to a UCL sprain in his left elbow. The team announced the injury Saturday morning.

As it stands right now, the Grizzlies are 18-25 on the season, 1.5 games back of the final NBA Play-In spot. They’ve lose two games in a row.

Morant’s only played in 20 games this season and averages 19.5 points per game, to go along with 3.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists, a 41% shooting average and a 23.5% on his three-points. They are well below his career averages.

Earlier this month, the Grizzlies began “entertaining offers” for Morant via trade. Nothing’s materialized in the last two weeks.

Sources told ESPN that multiple teams have expressed interest in Morant, with rival executives believing the Grizzlies would prioritize a return centered around draft capital and young players. Morant, a two-time All-Star, remains under contract through the 2027–28 season and is eligible to sign a three-year, $178 million extension this summer.

At just 26 years old, Morant remains one of the league’s most dynamic guards, but availability and consistency have become growing concerns. He has appeared in only 20 games this season due to injuries and a one-game suspension following a postgame exchange with head coach Tuomas Iisalo in November.

Over the past two seasons combined, Morant has played just 61 games. He’s missed time due to injuries and two league suspensions related to off-court incidents involving firearms.

Still, his résumé places him in rare company. Charania noted Morant is one of only eight players in NBA history to average at least 22 points and seven assists per game, joining names like LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, James Harden, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Cade Cunningham.

Evidently, ESPN’s Shams Charania believes the franchise is well-positioned to pivot in either direction. He noted that after trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic last offseason for four unprotected first-round picks and a pick swap, Memphis now controls nine first-round selections and six second-rounders moving forward, including its own first-round pick in each of the next seven drafts.

Stephen Samra contributed to this report