Ja Morant will be suspended for at least two games following a social media video showing him brandishing a gun. When can he return?
Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant was on Instagram live in the early hours of Saturday in what appeared to be a club. With music playing and the room filled with people, Morant flashed what clearly appeared to be a pistol across the camera’s view, almost as if he was bragging about it.
This follows multiple incidents this season. His entourage is believed to have possibly pointed a gun with a laser attachment at a bus carrying Pacers guests. Morant is alleged to have assaulted a teenager and threatened him with a gun. In a separate incident, Morant is alleged to have assaulted a mall security guard.
All of this preceded Saturday morning’s incident.
After a few hours, the NBA was investigating, and the Memphis Grizzlies announced a suspension for Morant that will last, “at least,” two games.
When is Ja Morant eligible to return to play for the Memphis Grizzlies?
At this point, the suspension may just be to give the Grizzlies time to assess the situation, understand the facts, speak with Morant, and figure out proper punishment. While two games may be all that it ends up being, there is the potential that this suspension gets extended, as the language on the Grizzlies’ press release leaves the door open.
But if the suspension is just two games, Morant is eligible to return on Thursday, March 9th against the Golden State Warriors at home.
The Grizzlies are currently second in the Western Conference at 38-24. The Warriors are six games behind in the loss column, so it’s a relatively important game for Memphis to win and keep space between themselves and other Western Conference teams.
Morant will miss games against the Clippers (33 losses) and Lakers (34 losses) who are both a bit beyond the Grizzlies in the loss column.
Keep in mind, the Grizzlies are on a road trip. The language of the press release suggests Morant will not be with the team at all, meaning he may be asked to travel back to Memphis on his own.
Will Ja Morant play vs Warriors on Thursday?
At this point, we don’t know. The suspension, as it stands now, would make him eligible to return for the game against the Warriors. But if it’s extended, Morant will surely miss that game.
Morant also released a statement on Saturday:
“I take full responsibility for my actions last night. I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”
We will keep you updated on all you need to know about the suspension here and if Morant will play.