Grizzlies GM refutes claim Morant could be traded: 'Nonsense'
Memphis Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman made it clear that star guard Ja Morant is not available for trade.
"I can't blame other 'executives' for fantasizing about us trading Ja," Kleiman said, according to Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian. "But it's just that - fantasy. We are not trading Ja. Continue to underestimate Ja, this team, and this city, and we will let our performance on the floor speak for itself. I'm not going to give this nonsense further oxygen and look forward to getting back to basketball."
Kleiman's response comes after NBA insider Howard Beck made a claim about the 25-year-old's availability this upcoming offseason on "The Ringer NBA Show."
"I'm constantly checking in with executives around (the) trade deadline ... you are always on the lookout for who's the next wave of stars that are going to get dealt, right?" Beck said. "We just saw shock of all shocks, the Luka (Doncic) deal. We saw Jimmy Butler, there's already whispers once again about Giannis (Antetokounmpo), and somebody out of the blue said, 'Keep an eye on Ja this summer.'"
He added, "Ja's obviously had some issues. Everything's been fine for a while here, so not to overplay stuff from a year-and-a-half, two years ago. But at a certain point teams will pivot. ... I'm not saying it's gonna happen, I'm not saying it should happen. I'm just saying it's one of those things I'm just kind of keeping an eye on if they were to flame out early."
The NBA suspended Morant for 25 games to begin last season for conduct detrimental to the league. He ultimately appeared in just nine contests across the campaign, as he underwent shoulder surgery in January 2024.
The two-time All-Star has also missed 22 games due to multiple ailments this season. Morant is averaging 20.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.4 assists through 32 contests in 2024-25.
He's under contract with the Grizzlies through the 2027-28 campaign.
Memphis currently sits second in the West at 36-18.