Getty Image / Ronald Martinez
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has yet to publicly hand down a punishment for Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant after Morant’s latest gun scandal.
On Friday morning, NBA insider Shams Charania announced that Ja Morant’s suspension will be for 25 games. The league has yet to make it official.
The NBA is suspending Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant for 25 games, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2023
The reactions were swift:
25? that's it?
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 16, 2023
Someone else wrote “He got off light tbh.” Another person added “Should’ve been 50.” Someone else chimed in with “25 games is 30% of the season. Feels low….”
Woj also added that there are conditions to Ja Morant’s return to the NBA:
The suspension will come with conditions for his return, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/m5aXEpCXrS
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 16, 2023
Darren Rovell revealed Ja Morant will lose $10 million due to the lengthy suspension:
Ja Morant will lose $10 million from this suspension without pay. https://t.co/Fmp1FFjTfE
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) June 16, 2023
NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski spoke earlier on Friday morning with ESPN’s Get Up. Woj said he believes there’s an “expectation” that today (Friday) could be the day that Ja Morant’s suspension is announced. Adrian Wojnarowski also says that ‘no on really knows’ how long Ja Morant’s suspension will be but he says we can be ‘confident’ that it will be more than 18 games.
“There’s an expectation that today could be the day. … It’s probably going to be more than 18 games.”
— @wojespn on Ja Morant’s suspension announcement pic.twitter.com/jMTIz48t5o
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 16, 2023
Nobody is more interested in Ja Morant’s suspension than the Memphis Grizzlies organization.
Morant is set to start a 5-year, $194 million contract with the Grizzlies next season. And the NBA Draft is also next week. This means the Grizz will hopefully get some clarity on what they will do with their 25th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Ja’s last suspension was just 8 games, though he missed more time than that for counseling. All signs indicate this will be a lengthier suspension, taking into account that Morant is now a repeat offender.
Elsewhere, Skip Bayless revealed this week that Lil Wayne tried to help Ja Morant to no avail.