It wasn’t just Ja Morant’s rough shooting night that grabbed attention after the loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. The bigger story came later, when Morant appeared to single out the coaching staff while explaining what went wrong.
Memphis clearly didn’t let that slide. They responded by giving him a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. The suspension itself was simple enough, but the implications were anything but small.
Sure, optimists will insist this isn’t the start of a breakup, but even they’d have to admit the Morant–Memphis relationship doesn’t look as stable as before. And in the NBA, even a hint of friction gets attention fast. NBA insider Shams Charania is now reporting that teams are watching the situation closely.
“Teams across the league though are monitoring this. Keeping an eye on where this relationship stands between Ja Morant and the Grizzlies.”
“Teams across the league though are monitoring this. Keeping an eye on where this relationship stands between Ja Morant and the Grizzlies.”
Shams Charania on Ja’s 1-game suspension 🗣️
(via @SportsCenter)pic.twitter.com/sEq5SpdAOG
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 2, 2025
Morant hasn’t exactly been a stranger to speculation. We already saw some noise last season when he was limited to 50 games and his numbers dropped across the board. Now, after this latest incident, that conversation has only gotten louder.
And if Morant ever hits the trade market, former NBA big man DeMarcus Cousins already has ideas on where he should go. In Cousins’ view, the best fits for Morant would be the Houston Rockets or the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Ja to minny Or Houston! Please and thank you!”
Ja to minny Or Houston! Please and thank you!
— DeMarcus Cousins (@boogiecousins) November 1, 2025
The picks aren’t random either. Houston needs an elite point guard and has young pieces they could send to Memphis if they decide to go all in. Minnesota has experience at the position, but the need is just as real. Adding Morant would give them a second creator who could take pressure off Anthony Edwards and raise their ceiling.
