Ja Morant’s future with the Memphis Grizzlies remains uncertain as the NBA trade deadline nears its close, with no deal materializing despite reports that the franchise has lowered its asking price. As speculation continues to swirl, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins issued a blunt warning, saying Morant risks falling out of the league if he does not address ongoing concerns surrounding his career.
In all likelihood, Ja Morant and the Grizzlies may have to stick together until the end of the season. The narrative could change in the offseason with Morant potentially finding a new home in the summer.
While that seems to be the likely scenario, former NBA player and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins gave fair warning to the Murray State product. Perkins urged Morant to get his act together and wake up if the 2022 NBA Most Improved Player wants to stay in the league for a long time.
“Ja Morant better wake the hell up. Cause in two years, after this contract, he could find himself out the league,” Perkins said on NBA on ESPN.
Morant’s stock is dwindling
After an explosive 2021-22 season, Morant just hasn’t been the same. He has been involved in off-court incidents and has struggled with injuries.
In fact this season, the 6-foot-2 guard has played in only 20 games. He averaged 19.5 points, 8.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 28.5 minutes of action. From those stats, it was Morant’s scoring that went down. He owns a career average of 22.4 points per contest.
Morant has been out of action since early January after suffering a UCL sprain in his left elbow. He suffered the injury on January 21 in a game against the Atlanta Hawks after hitting the backboard on a block attempt on a block attempt per Yahoo Sports.
After that injury, the Grizzlies announced Morant would miss at least three weeks and would be re-evaluated in mid-February. But with Memphis suddenly being open to trades, it raises questions about the severity of the injury since the Grizzlies were expecting their superstar guard back and fully recovered.
However, there could be a falling out as well between the two parties. Morant put up a cryptic message on his X feed on January 31, making it look like the second overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft was aware of a potential roster move coming.
Wake up Ja!
Given his spate of injuries and his knack for getting into trouble, Morant may want to listen to Perkins and his strong warning. Perk has witnessed players who have risen to fame, only to see their careers go up in ashes.
For Morant, the coming months could prove decisive. With injuries limiting his availability and Memphis openly exploring roster options, questions now surround both his health and long-term standing with the franchise. As the Grizzlies weigh their next steps, Morant faces mounting pressure to stabilise his career and re-establish himself on the court, with his future in Memphis—and possibly the league—under increased scrutiny.
Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson has one of the more positive NBA late draftee successes in recent memory. Drafted 46th Read more
Like his brother Steph, Seth Curry also knows how to make clutch plays. Curry hit a top of the key Read more
The Milwaukee Bucks rewrote the record books Tuesday night, making a whopping 29 triples in a huge 144-97 win over Read more
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has scored in double-digits for 1,000 consecutive games, a record he set as the Read more
- “Wake the hell up” – Kendrick Perkins sends blunt warning to Ja Morant - February 6, 2026
- Mavs trade Anthony Davis to Wizards in blockbuster multiplayer deal - February 5, 2026
- Ex-PBA Import involved in bench-clearing NBL playoff game - January 29, 2026