Morant registered 17 points (7-12 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), eight rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block over 25 minutes in Friday's 114-109 preseason defeat to the Heat.
Morant returned to the starting lineup Friday following a three-game absence due to an ankle injury, and he finished the preseason finale with a team-high eight rebounds. Morant is looking to bounce back from a tumultuous 2023-24 campaign, during which he missed 73 regular-season games due to suspension and major shoulder surgery. During his last full season in 2022-23, he averaged 26.2 points, 8.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals over 31.9 minutes in 61 regular-season games.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Starting preseason finale
Rotowire
Morant (ankle) is in the starting lineup for Friday's preseason game against the Heat.
As expected, Morant will feature in the backcourt alongside Marcus Smart, though it's uncertain how much of a workload he'll have. The star floor general will aim to remain healthy for the regular-season opener against Utah on Wednesday.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Expected to suit up Friday
Rotowire
Morant (ankle) is expected to play in Friday's preseason game versus the Heat, Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian reports.
Morant is expected to return to action Friday after missing the last three preseason contests due to an ankle injury. The star guard should reclaim his starting spot from Scotty Pippen.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Present for practice Wednesday
Rotowire
Morant (ankle) practiced Wednesday but remains questionable for Friday's preseason game against Miami, Michael Wallace of the Grizzlies' official site reports.
Morant and Jaren Jackson (hamstring) practiced Wednesday, although the degree to which the duo participated is unknown. Coach Taylor Jenkins said a decision on both players' availability for Friday "will be made after Thursday's workout."
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Doesn't play Monday
Rotowire
Morant (ankle) didn't play in Monday's 120-116 preseason win over the Pacers.
Morant is still dealing with a mild ankle sprain, though he is expected to be back by Opening Night. In the superstar's absence, the Grizzlies will continue to take an extended look at Scotty Pippen and Yuki Kawamura. Morant's last chance to suit up again during the preseason will come Friday versus the Heat.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Not listed with starters
Rotowire
Morant (ankle) won't start Monday's preseason game against the Pacers, Keith Smith of Spotrac.com reports.
Morant and Marcus Smart (undisclosed) likely won't play Monday, but the Grizzlies haven't officially ruled them out. Morant suffered a mild ankle sprain earlier in the preseason, and it's unclear when he'll be ready for game action again.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Not in starting five Saturday
Rotowire
Morant (ankle) is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's preseason game against the Bulls.
Morant is not expected to suit up as the club plans to work him back slowly for Opening Night. The superstar sustained a mild ankle sprain during Monday's preseason game against Dallas and hasn't played since. It is unclear if the 25-year-old will return during the preseason, but his next chance to do so will come Monday against the Pacers.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Doesn't play Thursday
Rotowire
Morant (ankle) didn't play in Thursday's 119-94 preseason loss to the Hornets.
Morant didn't see the court in this double-digit preseason loss, though that's unsurprising. The Grizzlies are expected to be cautious with their star point guard following the injuries he's dealt with over the last two years. Morant's next chance to play will come against the Bulls on Saturday. However, the floor general's main focus will be preparing for the regular-season opener against the Jazz on Oct. 23.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Not starting vs. Charlotte
Rotowire
Morant (ankle) is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's preseason game against the Hornets, Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian reports.
It's unclear if Morant will be sidelined for this preseason contest, but that wouldn't be shocking, as the team's goal is to have him ready for the start of the regular season against the Jazz on Oct. 23. With Morant not in the first unit, John Konchar will start next to Marcus Smart in the backcourt.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Dealing with mild sprain
Rotowire
Morant was diagnosed with a mild ankle sprain Tuesday, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.
According to coach Taylor Jenkins, the Grizzlies will proceed with caution, but there's no concern about his availability for Opening Night. Morant's status for Thursday's preseason game against Charlotte is up in the air, but it would be surprising to see him take the floor for that contest.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Avoids serious injury
Rotowire
Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins stated Morant suffered a minor ankle tweak during Monday's preseason game against Dallas, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports.
Morant went back to the locker room on two separate occasions after suffering an ankle injury and then later experiencing some discomfort upon returning to the game. He'll be evaluated over the next few days back in Memphis, per Michael Wallace of the Grizzlies' official site. Fortunately, there doesn't appear to be much concern about Morant's availability for the start of the regular season at this point.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Heads back to locker room again
Rotowire
Morant went back to the locker room in the beginning of the third quarter during Monday's preseason matchup against the Mavericks due to an ankle injury, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Morant rolled his ankle in the second quarter and limped back to the locker room before eventually reentering the game. However, the superstar came down wincing after a dunk and committed an intentional foul to exit the contest once again. It is unclear whether Morant will return, but it's likely that he'll be done for the night and the club will take an extended look at Scotty Pippen and John Konchar. If Morant's night is over, he'll end the game with 13 points (4-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 5-5 FT), four rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block across 18 minutes.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Back in action
Rotowire
Morant (ankle) has returned to Monday's preseason game against Dallas, Kelly Iko of The Athletic reports.
This is great news for the Grizzlies, as it's unlikely Morant would be back in the game if there was any chance he had suffered a serious injury. Even so, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Memphis take it easy with the star point guard in terms of playing time the rest of the way Monday.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Leaves game with ankle injury
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Morant left in the second quarter of Monday's preseason game against the Mavericks due to an ankle injury, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports.
Morant rolled his right ankle while getting back on defense, and he limped to the locker room shortly thereafter. If he's done for the night, Morant will finish with six points (1-5 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three rebounds, two assists and one block over 10 minutes. Scotty Pippen, Luke Kennard and John Konchar should see more minutes off the bench in Morant's absence.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Cleared for basketball activities
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Morant underwent shoulder surgery in January, but he is fully cleared for all basketball activities this summer, CBSSports.com reports.
Due to a 25-game suspension and a major shoulder surgery, Morant appeared in just nine games last season, during which he averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals across 35.3 minutes. The 24-year-old had successful surgery on his right shoulder in mid-January, and he is now officially cleared to resume all basketball activities ahead of training camp in the fall. Morant will aim to lead the Grizzlies back to the playoffs after a year ruined by a litany of injuries saw them finish with a 27-55 record.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Will be cleared in near future
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Morant (shoulder) said Saturday he will be medically cleared for basketball activities in about two weeks, CBSSports.com reports.
Morant played only nine games last year due to a 25-game suspension and a major shoulder injury. He averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals across 35.3 minutes. The All-Star had successful surgery on his right shoulder in mid-January and will be able to practice soon, meaning he should be 100 percent for next season's training camp. Morant hopes to take the Grizzlies back to the playoffs after a year ruined by injuries saw them finish with a 27-55 record.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Still not close to full strength
Rotowire
Morant (shoulder) will be fully cleared for basketball activities halfway through the offseason, Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian reports.
Morant underwent successful surgery on his right shoulder in mid-January and remains on track with his rehab. Due to a suspension to start the campaign and then the season-ending procedure, the All-Star point guard appeared in just nine games in 2023-24 and averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals-plus-blocks in 35.3 minutes. While injuries decimated Memphis' entire roster all campaign, it doesn't sound like those issues will linger and impact 2024-25.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Needs season-ending shoulder surgery
Rotowire
The Grizzlies announced Monday that Morant will miss the rest of the 2023-24 season after an MRI revealed a labral tear in his right shoulder that will require surgery.
Morant was initially diagnosed with a subluxation of his right shoulder following his most recent appearance in Friday's win over the Lakers, but the Grizzlies uncovered a much more significant injury following the MRI. The star point guard is slated to have surgery in the near future and is expected to make a full recovery in advance of the 2024-25 season. With Morant sidelined, the Grizzlies will likely shift Marcus Smart over to point guard, while Desmond Bane should also see a spike in playmaking and scoring opportunities. After he served as 25-game suspension to open the season, Morant will conclude the 2023-24 campaign with just nine appearances, during which he averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 three-pointers, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks in 35.3 minutes per game.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Won't play Tuesday
Rotowire
Morant (shoulder) will not play in Tuesday's game against Dallas.
This will be the second straight game on the shelf for Morant. Unlike the first game he missed, Morant wasn't assigned a questionable tag for this one, which isn't a great sign for his outlook. It remains to be seen if he'll be ready for Friday's game against the Clippers, but he does have the benefit of a few extra days off. Look for Marcus Smart, Desmond Bane and Vince Williams to benefit from a fantasy perspective in Morant's absence.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Ruled out for Sunday
Rotowire
Morant (shoulder) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Phoenix.
Morant was questionable for Sunday's matchup due to right shoulder soreness, and he'll be forced to miss at least one game due to the injury. Derrick Rose (thigh) remains out against the Suns, so Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart will need to step up. Vince Williams could also see increased run despite missing the last two games with a foot injury.
