morant-bench-getty.png
Getty Images

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant will remain away from the team for at least four more games, the team said in a statement Wednesday. The embattled All-Star has already missed two games, losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, after he posted an Instagram Live video of himself at a Colorado nightclub with what appeared to be a gun. Police in Glendale, Colorado have closed their investigation into Morant, saying on Wednesday that "there was not enough available evidence to charge anyone with a crime." However, the 23-year-old is still being investigated by the NBA. 

Bringing a gun onto a team plane or team premises is a violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, so Morant may still be subject to a lengthy league suspension pending the results of that investigation.

"I take full responsibility for my actions last night," Morant said in a statement released on March 4. "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."

Morant has been involved in a number of off-court controversies recently, including:

  • Allegedly punching a teenager "12 or 13 times" according to a Washington Post report. Morant claimed he was acting in self defense. The teenager alleged that Morant had a gun tucked into his pants.
  • A mall security guard said that he was threatened by Morant and a number of his associates after his mother reportedly got into an argument with an employee at Finish Line. No arrests were made as a result of this incident.
  • In February, the NBA confirmed that it had investigated a situation that took place in Memphis on Jan. 29 after a game against the Indiana Pacers. Members of Indiana's traveling party claimed that a red laser was shined on them from an SUV carrying Morant. They believed it came from a gun, but the NBA could "not corroborate that any individual threatened others with a weapon."

The next four games for the Grizzlies are critical ones. Tuesday's loss to the Lakers dropped the Grizzlies into a tie with the Sacramento Kings for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Their next four games all come against dangerous opponents: a battle with the rival Warriors, followed by two against the Dallas Mavericks and finally a game with the Miami Heat. The Grizzlies lead fourth-place Phoenix by only three games in the loss column, so if they can't take care of business without Morant, they are in serious danger of dropping in the standings.