Ja Morant injury: Grizzlies star (elbow) to be sidelined through NBA trade deadline

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant suffered a sprained UCL in his left elbow earlier this week in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks and will be re-evaluated in three weeks. 

An absence of at least three weeks means Morant will be out through the NBA’s trade deadline, which is Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. ET. While Morant’s latest injury doesn’t appear to be so severe it will have long-term implications for the two-time All-Star (the Grizzlies said he is expected to make a full recovery), it does create some uncertainty for teams that might have interest in pursuing a Morant trade. 

What’s particularly disheartening about the latest Morant injury is that he was looking more like the dynamic player we’d come to know early in his career in his most recent outings. He was fantastic in his return to action in London against the Orlando Magic and backed that up with another double-double against the Hawks prior to suffering the elbow injury late in the game. 

Morant’s injury history is the biggest concern for potential suitors for the star guard, as he’s struggled to stay on the court consistently in recent years. Morant has played in 79 total games since the start of the 2023-24 season due to suspensions and an array of injuries. In 20 games this season, Morant has averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists while shooting 41.0% from the floor and 23.5% from 3-point range — both career worsts. He has two years and $87 million remaining on his contract.

There was already a light market for Morant prior to his latest injury. Teams like the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat were reported to have interest, but recent reports indicated their pursuit of Morant was a bit overstated. 

With under two weeks to the trade deadline, it’s not clear how active teams will end up being, especially with so much uncertainty surrounding some of the biggest names that have floated around the market. The biggest of those is Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose latest calf strain is expected to keep him out for the next month, with teams circling hoping they are finally ready to engage in trade talks. However, despite the horrific vibes in the Milwaukee locker room, it’s not clear if the Bucks are ready to part with the star just yet. 

Morant’s market was already expected to be muted, but with the Antetokounmpo “will he, won’t he” situation holding up a number of teams and Morant now being injured again, it’s possible he also ends up staying in Memphis through the deadline to set up a potentially wild summer of moves after a quiet deadline. 

At some point teams in need of upgrades — or those looking to sell — will start to press for action before the deadline, with or without Antetokounmpo. That’s when we’ll find out whether there’s real interest in Morant and others, but that might not come until what could become a mad dash on deadline day.