Tension is rising in Memphis, and it’s not a good look for the Grizzlies. Morant struggled with just eight points on 3-of-14 shooting, but his performance wasn’t the main issue. The team suspended star point guard Ja Morant after his postgame comments following their 117-112 loss to the Lakers. The suspension has sparked serious questions about leadership and accountability within the franchise.

When asked about what went wrong on the court, Morant replied sharply, “Go ask them. They had a whole spiel in here, so…” That response was only the start of the tension. Moments later, when reporters questioned whether he should have played more minutes, Morant escalated the situation further, hinting at deeper frustration within the team. More so, with ESPN’s Insider Shams Charania dropping a massive update on the 26-year-old’s future in Memphis.

“For now, Morant is expected to rejoin the team on Monday at home against the Detroit Pistons. The sides are looking to move past this and move on. There’s been disciplinary actions over the last couple of seasons that have really derailed Morant, his seasons, and his career to an extent. 33 games worth of suspensions in 2023 for incidents involving guns. Last season, a fine for gun gestures in games,” Charania stated. But that isn’t the biggest of all deals.

“So teams across the league, though, are monitoring this, keeping an eye on where this relationship stands between John Mar and the Grizzlies. They want to move on here after today and after he serves this one-game suspension.” The Insider pointed out.

Naturally, when you lock with one of your stars, it doesn’t bode well. Angel Reese-Chicago Sky, faces a similar situation in the W. Well, this isn’t the first time that the point guard has been linked with a move away from Memphis. Previously, the Grizzlies’ superstar has been the center of several trade rumors. However, nothing materialized. Well, this time around, the franchise finds itself in a precarious spot, as despite all the off-court stuff, Morant is a focal point of this team.

In fact, even this season, the guard leads the team in points and assists, averaging 20.8 points along with 6.7 assists per game. But again, it seems like he doesn’t have a great relationship with the new head coach, Tuomas Iisalo. More so, after more details about their locker room rift emerge.

Shams Charania reveals more details about the Grizzlies locker room disconnect

Even though the Memphis Grizzlies’ front office has been quite patient with Ja Morant, it seems that they might be running thin. This, of course, is a result of Morant’s harsh comments about the coaching staff after the team’s Friday night loss against the Lakers. While it initially seemed like the 26-year-old was just frustrated with his coaching staff, ESPN’s Shams Charania has shed light on what actually had been going on behind the scenes within the Grizzlies locker room.

“There’s been tension … around Ja Morant and his feelings towards first-year head coach Tuomas Iisalo’s rotation patterns and plays,” Charania said. “But it really culminated after and during their loss to the Lakers in the postgame locker room. Morant and Iisalo had an exchange, where Iisalo called out Morant’s leadership and effort in front of the whole team. As teammates and staffers all looked on, Morant responded in what the team deemed an ‘inappropriate and dismissive way,’ according to sources.”

“That’s when the Grizzlies, their team officials, huddled up and levied a one-game suspension on Ja Morant that he’ll serve on Sunday in Toronto,” Charania further reported. The Insider emphasized the poor relationship between newly appointed head coach Tuomas Iisalo and Ja Morant.

It seems like the Memphis HC and Morant are not yet on the same page. Now, will these two sort things out, or will the Grizzlies actually look out for options to trade Morant? That will be something to keep a close eye on in the coming weeks.