The Memphis Grizzlies now know exactly how long they will have to survive the start of the 2023-24 season without Ja Morant.
The NBA officially released the schedules for all 30 teams on Thursday. For the Grizzlies, it also means that a return date can now be penciled in for their suspended star point guard Morant.
As noted by Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal, Morant will be eligible to return from his suspension on Dec. 19 against the New Orleans Pelicans. The game will be nationally televised and will feature Morant going up against his partner at the top of the 2019 NBA Draft in Zion Williamson (assuming that both guys play in the contest).
Two-time All-Star Morant was handed a 25-game suspension by the NBA after he was seen flashing a gun during an Instagram Live video in May (watch here). It was the second incidence of Morant flashing a gun in the span of just a few months (he received an eight-game suspension from the NBA for the first incident in March).
Memphis will ultimately have to grind through a little less than two months of the season with Morant out of the lineup after they begin play on Oct. 25. While the Grizzlies have the pieces to do so, especially after trading for Marcus Smart this summer, the bigger concern for the franchise may be how Morant reportedly reacted to his latest suspension.
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