Grizzlies, Ja Morant agree to five-year max extension

Morant’s extension will include Rose Rule language allowing him to earn a starting salary worth 30% of the 2023-24 cap instead of 25% if he makes an All-NBA team again next season.

Based on the NBA’s latest cap projection of $133M for the 2023-24 season, Morant’s deal would be worth $231.42M if he meets the Rose Rule criteria next season, or $192.85M if he doesn’t.

It’s the biggest contract in Grizzlies history, according to Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian, topping the $153M deal Mike Conley signed in 2016.

Morant, who will turn 23 in August, has improved in each of his three NBA seasons, earning his first All-Star and All-NBA nods in 2021-22 and winning the league’s Most Improved Player award.

The former second overall pick averaged a career-high 27.4 PPG to go along with 6.7 APG, 5.7 RPG and 1.2 SPG in 57 games (33.1 MPG). He also put up career-best shooting numbers of 49.3% from the floor and 34.4% on threes.

Morant is the first member of the 2019 draft class to reach an agreement on a rookie scale extension, and his new deal is one of several maximum-salary contract extensions agreed upon as the new NBA league year begins. Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker have reportedly agreed to super-max veteran extensions tonight as well.

The Rose Rule criteria requires a player to earn an All-NBA spot in the season before his rookie scale extension goes into effect to qualify for the 30% max, which is why Morant will have to make it again next year despite claiming a spot this spring.