NBA star blames Ja Morant for blockbuster trade deadline drama

A month ago, ESPN's Malika Andrews asked Morant which team he's concerned about playing against in the playoffs.

"Celtics," Morant said.

"No one in the West?" Andrews followed up.

"Nah, I'm fine in the West," Morant responded.

The 23-year-old might not be so convinced anymore, as the Western Conference just got flooded with talent.

Durant will join Devin Booker and Chris Paul in fifth-place Phoenix. Kyrie Irving just played his first game for Luka Doncic's fourth-place Mavericks last night. D'Angelo Russell is teaming up with LeBron James on the Lakers and Russell Westbrook is moving to the Jazz (well, maybe).

And that's not even mentioning Nikola Jokic's first-place Nuggets, who beat the Grizzlies 105-91 in their lone matchup this season.

Still, it's likely Morant remains confident in his squad. Memphis (33-21) ranks second in the West and has proven to be a legit contender. The Grizzlies lost to the 2022 championship-winning Warriors in the semifinals last year.

Morant is averaging 27.4 points, 8.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds. The point guard won Rookie of the Year in 2020 and was just selected for his second All-Star game.

The Grizzlies have four players averaging more than 15 points per game. Shooting guard Desmond Bane (21.6) is making his case for Most Improved Player and veteran center Steven Adams is grabbing 11.5 boards off the glass.

Whether or not that trio can lead Memphis past the West's newly-crafted super teams is yet to be determined.