The Memphis Grizzlies suspended two-time All-Star guard Ja Morant for one game due to what the franchise described as "detrimental conduct to the team." The measure will be implemented for Sunday's game against the Toronto Raptors, amid growing internal discontent over his attitude and recent statements. During Memphis' 117-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, Morant scored only eight points and appeared visibly disconnected from the game. At several points, he seemed to disengage from the team, even walking away from the bench during a timeout in the second half. In the postgame interview, the player avoided giving explanations. "Go and ask the coaching staff," I repeated several times. When asked if he felt he should have played more or if anything could have been done differently, he responded ironically, "According to them, I probably shouldn't be playing. That was basically the message. It's fine." Despite his frustration, statistics show that Morant played 8 minutes and 25 seconds of the fourth quarter, more than any other Memphis player, and logged over 16 minutes in the second half, the team's second-most after Jaren Jackson Jr. However, he missed all seven of his field goal attempts in that part of the game. A history of suspensions that worries the NBA: The most recent suspension adds to a long list of disciplinary issues for the Grizzlies star. In 2023, Morant was suspended twice for firearms incidents, costing him a total of 33 games and approximately $8.3 million in salary. The first suspension, for eight games, stemmed from a live-streamed video showing him holding a gun in a Denver nightclub while intoxicated. The second, much more severe, suspension was for 25 games after he posed with a handgun inside a car during another live stream. On that occasion, the NBA stated that Morant “wielded the weapon knowing he was being recorded and that the stream was live.”The league called the action “inappropriate” and noted that Morant had already been warned that such gestures could be “interpreted negatively.”

Currently, the 25-year-old point guard earns $39.4 million per season and is in the year of a five-year, $197.2 million contract. So far this season, he is averaging 20.8 points per game in six appearances.