The Memphis Grizzlies are set to face off against the Orlando Magic tonight as part of the NBA’s games in Berlin. However, all the focus has shifted to Ja Morant, even though he is out. The guard has been the subject of trade speculation all season, and now, even smaller moments are becoming hard to ignore.

“Do you think that you will be with the team past the trade deadline?” Morant was asked by a reporter.

The Grizzlies star instead became the questioner, asking the reporter whether he was “the only one you asked that question to,” and when the reporter tried to move forward, Morant cut off the exchange with two words: “Next question.”

This wasn’t the most reassuring exchange for viewers, especially because stars who know they’re staying usually say so directly. Morant, while not entirely denying the rumors, barely engaged with the narrative, and that might speak more to what is to come.

To make things worse, this wasn’t the only point of contention between the star and his franchise.

Just a few hours earlier, an exchange between Morant and teammate Vince Williams Jr. during shootaround surfaced, with the two getting into a heated argument for over a minute and a half before a Grizzlies staff member separated them. It’s not a great look for Morant, especially given the reality of things.

NBA insider Shams Charania recently reported that the Grizzlies were “entertaining offers” for Morant for the first time since the guard was drafted by the franchise in 2019. And when the player was asked about these reports recently, he said only that he had to “live with it,” without denying anything.

Charania also reported that rival executives believe the Grizzlies would prioritize draft picks and young players in return. So, only time will tell if by February, he’s on a different team.

Ja Morant’s outburst is when uncertainty starts showing in practice

Confrontations between teammates usually follow patterns: either a quick escalation followed by a breakup, or they end immediately after the message is delivered. This argument between Ja Morant and Williams Jr. lingered for longer, a sign of a deeper disagreement.

This matters because the uncertainty around Morant has begun to alter the locker room dynamics within the Grizzlies, even before transactions are finalized. When players don’t know who’s staying, who’s going, or which direction the organization is committing to, the conversations within the organization grow more tense, and minor disagreements can become commonplace.

Whether fairly or not, Morant lies at the center of this for the Grizzlies; he’s the face of the franchise, and with his future the biggest variable, the season’s trajectory rests on him. He has only appeared in 18 games this season because of injury issues and a one-game suspension after an argument with Tuomas Iisalo in November.

Although the Grizzlies haven’t publicly committed to trading him, Morant chose not to shut the door multiple times when given the chance, and teammates and opponents around the league have heard it.

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For now, he remains on the team, but with suitors like the Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, and Milwaukee Bucks circling his status, the Grizzlies are left with questions without answers, and a star who responds to the pressure by dismissing it.