Windhorst: 'Indication' Grizzlies' Ja Morant Is Headed for 'Significant Suspension'
Memphis Grizzlies superstar guard Ja Morant reportedly may be facing a lengthy suspension after he appeared in an Instagram Live video while holding a gun last month.
Friday on Get Up, ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said the "indication" is that Morant is likely to receive a "significant suspension" from the NBA:
Fellow ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski agreed with Windhorst's assessment regarding a lengthy suspension for Morant during an appearance on NBA Today:
Prior to Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets on Thursday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke to reporters and divulged that no potential disciplinary measures against Morant would be announced until after the NBA Finals:
"We've uncovered a fair amount of additional information, I think, since I was first asked about the situation. I will say we probably could have brought it to a head now, but we made the decision, and I believe the players association agrees with us, that it would be unfair to these players and these teams in the middle of the series to announce the results of that investigation.
"Given that we're of course in the offseason, he has now been suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies indefinitely, so nothing would have changed anyway in the next few weeks. It seemed better to park that at the moment, at least any public announcement, and my sense now is that shortly after the conclusion of the Finals we will announce the outcome of that investigation."
When asked about Silver's comments, Windhorst called them "very unusual" in that it isn't typical for the commissioner to delay making such an announcement, nor is it commonplace to confer with the players association before a suspension is announced.
In March, the NBA suspended Morant for eight games for conduct detrimental to the league after he was seen holding a gun in a Denver nightclub on Instagram Live.
Last month, Morant flashed a gun in a separate instance while sitting in a car on Instagram Live, leading to the Grizzlies suspending him indefinitely from team activities.
Morant was also sued for allegedly punching a 17-year-old in July 2022 at his home in Tennessee, according to TMZ. He has since filed a countersuit.
Leading a Memphis team that finished as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference this season, Morant averaged 26.2 points, 8.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.5 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals per game.
The 2019 No. 2 overall pick and his Grizzlies were upset in the first round of the playoffs by LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
If Morant is suspended for a large portion or the entirety of the 2023-24 season, it will move Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. into even bigger roles as the Grizzlies' top two stars.
