The Memphis Grizzlies Gave Up?

A few days ago, breaking news revealed that the Grizzlies had fallen in the rankings. They are now the sixth seed, which led to the firing of Taylor Jenkins toward the end of the season. The Grizzlies shocked the world with a winning season. Jaren Jackson Jr. had an All-Star season. He was one of the top defenders in the league and stayed healthy. Scottie Pippen Jr. has been a solid backup guard. Jaylen Wells stands out as one of the top rookies in this draft class. The Grizzlies are one of the deepest teams in the league. But they found themselves falling behind the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder. From being the second seed in 2023 to now being a play-in team. The team has fallen off hard in just two seasons. One of the factors of that has been Ja Morant, who has been inconsistent this season.

Ja Morant is no longer in the talks for being a top 10 player or MVP. It's clear he's far from those debates now. From being in the conversation as the next best player as Ja led his team to a winning record. But by 2025, the conversation shifted. It's tough to include the 25-year-old in talks about the top 20-25 players in the league. Ja's performance and health have both experienced a notable decline. In 2025, he hasn't been the best player on the team as JJJ has been able to take over this team despite the many injuries. His scoring has dropped to an average of 22.7 points per game. Morant is shooting 45 percent and 30 percent from three. This shows a decline from his best season in 2023. Rumors swirled during the trade deadline. People thought the young guard might be traded, which was wild. Along with the fact that the Grizzlies have run an offense, making him more of an off-ball player.

The coaching situation is crazy right now in Memphis. The team shocked everyone when they fired the coach. Taylor Jenkins built a winning culture from the ground up after the successful Marc Gasol era. This offseason, the organization plans to switch its offensive style. According to Shams, they moved away from a pick-and-roll approach to a relocation style of play. According to ESPN, the coach didn't meet the new personnel before the team hired them. This affects Ja Morant as he has been able to thrive off the pick and roll from his history with Steven Adams. With the way Memphis has gone about the coaching style change, the rumors of a trade could soon happen.

The big Luka Doncic trade this offseason might push the Memphis Grizzlies to trade Ja Morant. It’s not far-fetched to think about this. We recently saw a top-five player traded. So, a top 25 player isn't so far-fetched. This offensive change drifted from the Ja Morant show to a new style of play. With the new CBA, every team wants to remain under the apron, which could play a factor in Morant's future. If the team decided that he is not the future, then he could be on a brand-new team. Grizzlies with solid depth and an All-Star player may look to trade for a star like Devin Booker or Kevin Durant.

Depending on how this season goes, we could find Kevin Durant and Devin Booker on the trading block. The Suns lack mobility because they pay the highest taxes in the league. In contrast, Memphis has many younger players. The organization wants another star. They showed interest in Jimmy Butler, but he rejected their offer in a public statement. Teams might trade many players, such as Desmond Bane, GG Jackson, and Vince Williams. Also, the team could consider moving Ja Morant since he isn't as valuable as he was. The Memphis Grizzlies may look at this season as a waste and could look to change things around in the off-season.

At the trade deadline, we saw the Lakers make a major move in which they got Luka Dončić on the team. It changed the way we viewed the West as the Lakers once again became a player for a finals run. The Clippers added Bogdan Bogdanović, Ben Simmons, and Drew Eubanks to boost their team. Jimmy Butler was the big name that the Warriors got. And the Spurs got De'Aaron Fox, who they added around Victor Wembanyama. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies traded away their key players like Marcus Smart. He is far from his Defensive Player of the Year days, but he still makes an impact. Jake LaRavia is a hustle player. They made it clear they won’t compete this year. Instead, they will focus on the off-season to check their roster.

The Memphis Grizzlies aren't a serious team. They find it hard to beat top teams. This includes the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Golden State Warriors. So it made sense to fire Taylor Jenkins, but not too soon. With the offensive changes, it could lead the organization to trade away Ja Morant. He has had a decline this season, along with health issues and off-the-court antics. We could see another blockbuster trade that could change the West this off-season.

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