Ja Morant to Grizzlies: Memphis' Current Roster After 2019 NBA Draft
The Memphis Grizzlies found their point guard of the future Thursday, selecting Murray State's Ja Morant with the second overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft.
The 19-year-old is the first player since Derrick Rose (2008) to not attend a Power Five conference school and go in the top two.
Check out B/R NBA draft expert Jonathan Wasserman’s scouting profile on Morant.
Avery Bradley, SG: $12.5M (2020)
Bruno Caboclo, SF: $1.2M (2020)
C.J. Miles, SF: $8.3M (2020)
Chandler Parsons, SF: $23.6M (2020)
Dillon Brooks, SF: $1.3M (2020)
Grayson Allen, SG: $2.3M (2022)
Ivan Rabb, PF: $1.3M (2020)
Jae Crowder, SF: $7M (2020)
Jaren Jackson Jr., PF: $6.4M (2022)
Jevon Carter, PG: $1.1M (2020)
Jonas Valanciunas, C: $16M (2020)
Julian Washburn, SG: $77K (2020)
Kyle Anderson, SF: $9.3M (2022)
Kyle Korver, SG: $7.4M (2020)
Yuta Watanabe, F: $77K (2020)
Ja Morant, PG: $7.6 million (2023)
Delon Wright, PG: RFA
Joakim Noah, C: UFA
Jonas Valanciunas, C: Player, reportedly opting out
Justin Holiday, SG: UFA
Tyler Dorsey, SG: RFA
Tyler Zeller, C: UFA
Yuta Watanabe, F: RFA
Although Rose and Morant share that fun fact, their two respective journeys are anything but similar.
Whereas Rose was one of the nation's top recruits when he chose to play for John Calipari at Memphis, Morant was almost completely unheralded. He did not have a star rating from any major recruiting service and was discovered by accident by a member of Murray State's coaching staff.
In an era when youth basketball is pored over obsessively, Morant is a true rarity: a diamond who slipped through all of the cracks.
He quickly blossomed at Murray State, earning first-team All-OVC honors as a freshman before ascending to superstardom last season. He became the first player in NCAA history to average 20 points and 10 assists in a season and was named a finalist for every major Player of the Year honor, losing out to Zion Williamson.
"I just play with this chip on my shoulder coming from being under the radar in high school and stuff. That's my mentality, just a killer mentality," Morant told Steve Serby of the New York Post.
Morant had a star-cementing performance during the 2019 NCAA tournament, posting 17 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds in a first-round upset of Marquette. He is one of only eight players in NCAA tournament history to record a triple-double.
Morant will now take over a point guard spot in Memphis that Mike Conley occupied for the last 12 seasons.
Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported Wednesday that the Grizzlies are trading Conley to the Utah Jazz. Memphis is handing the keys to its offense over to Morant, who seemed ready to embrace any market after the draft lottery.
"I feel like Conley is a great player. We still know don't where I'll land until [Thursday] night," Morant said on SportsCenter upon hearing the Conley news. "But I will just continue to say that wherever I go, I'll be happy and try to come in and make an immediate impact."
Salary info via Spotrac.
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