Grizzlies GM disagrees with NBAPA's take on Ja Morant's suspension

Memphis Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said Thursday night that he believed Ja Morant's 25-game suspension was "appropriate."

The NBA announced Morant's punishment, which includes conditions for reinstatement, last week, following an investigation into his second gun-related incident in recent months. The NBA Players Association (NBAPA) issued a statement following the league's announcement, calling the suspension "excessive and inappropriate."

Kleiman disagreed with the NBAPA's take though, saying that Morant now must focus on taking "the really serious steps" necessary for reinstatement, according to an ESPN report.

"The thing to focus on at this point ... what's Ja going to commit to going forward?" the GM said, per the report. "What are the steps that he's prepared to take for the NBA to grant the ability to rejoin the team after serving the suspension?"

In the aftermath of the two-time All-Star's suspension, ESPN's Brian Windhorst called it "as bad of a penalty as we've seen in the history of professional sports," financially speaking. Windhorst called the financial ramifications of the NBA's decision "crushing", as he took into account potential lost sponsorships and considered the possibility of taking away likely All-NBA honors that would've given him millions more.

Morant is entering the first year of a $194 million rookie max contract extension that he signed in July 2022. According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, the suspension will cost the point guard $7.6 million.

Despite the current uncertainty surrounding Morant, Kleiman told reporters that there's "no strain in the relationship."

"But we have high expectations of the standard that Ja is going to have to hold himself to," the GM said. "I think there's a lot of healthy dialogue there. I think everyone did acknowledge early on that this was going to be ongoing and Ja wasn't just going to become the best version of himself overnight. I think there's many really serious steps that he needs to continue to take."