Grizzlies’ Ja Morant returns, but tension still evident after loss

Ja Morant didn’t do much to cool down the situation between him and the Grizzlies after returning from his one-game suspension.

Morant had 18 points and 10 assists in a 114-106 loss to the Pistons, but his answers afterward stayed short and centered on the same theme: go back to the team’s statement.

“Y’all asked that question of them, huh? So, y’all know the answer to that,” Morant told reporters.

When asked if he had his usual joy on the floor, he said, “No.”

Morant ignored questions in the locker room pregame and gave similar non-answers after Friday’s loss to the Lakers, when he said the staff essentially told him not to play.

He only had eight points that night and looked disengaged.

This tension is not subtle. Memphis needs clarity. Morant’s contract runs through 2027-28.

His message lately has been that the message isn’t his.