Ja Morant was suspended for at least two games by the Memphis Grizzlies after he appeared to brandish a gun at a Denver-area club in a social media video over the weekend folowing a game against the Nuggets. But the star guard could potentially end up serving a much longer suspension if it turns out that he brought the gun on team premises. That includes Memphis' plane, bus or locker room.
The league and police launched investigations into the situation. The Glendale, Colorado police department announced on Wednesday that no charges will be brought against Morant. "There was not enough available evidence to charge anyone with a crime," the statement read in part.
Still, the NBA could ultimately decide to fine Morant, or hit him with a lengthy suspension. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NBA and NBPA states explicitly that a player is prohibited from carrying a firearm while traveling on any league-related business. So the question becomes: Did Morant have the gun on team premises? That's likely exactly what the league is looking into at this point.
Here's the direct wording from the CBA regarding the possession of a firearm by a player:
Section 9. Firearms and Other Weapons. (a) Whenever a player is physically present at a facility or venue owned, operated, or being used by a Team, the NBA, or any League-related entity, and whenever a player is traveling on any NBA-related business, whether on behalf of the player's Team, the NBA, or any League-related entity, such player shall not possess a firearm of any kind or any other deadly weapon. For purposes of the foregoing, "a facility or venue" includes, but is not limited to: an arena; a practice facility; a Team or League office or facility; an All-Star or NBA Playoff venue; and the site of a promotional or charitable appearance.
(c) Any violation of Section 9(a) or Section 9(b) above shall be considered conduct prejudicial to the NBA under Article 35(d) of the NBA Constitution and By-Laws, and shall therefore subject the player to discipline by the NBA in accordance with such Article.
And here is Article 35(d) from the NBA constitution, which is referenced above:
The Commissioner shall have the power to suspend for a definite or indefinite period, or to impose a fine not exceeding $1,000,000, or inflict both such suspension and fine upon any person who, in his opinion, shall have been guilty of conduct prejudicial or detrimental to the Association.
So basically, if Morant is found guilty of violating the CBA, it will be up to commissioner Adam Silver to hand down a punishment. At that point he can choose to fine Morant up to $1 million, and/or serve a suspension. There isn't an established suspension length for the situation, so if Morant is suspended by the league, the length will be at Silver's discretion.
During the 2009-2010 NBA season, Washington Wizards guards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton were both suspended for the remainder of the season for bringing guns into the team locker room. Obviously the situation isn't exactly the same. but there isn't a ton of precedent here.
After he was suspended by the Grizzlies, Morant -- who has been involved in a string of off-court incidents in recent months -- released a statement apologizing to those he impacted and vowing to get help.
"I take full responsibility for my actions last night," Morant said in the statement. "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."
