Ja Morant remains skeptical of Tuomas Iisalo approach, but Grizzlies not pushing trade

Ja Morant’s frustration with Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo’s system was the driving force behind the locker room incident that led to his one-game suspension last week.

Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps of ESPN reported that Morant remains skeptical of Iisalo’s mass-substitution approach. Iisalo used that rotation pattern in Europe — line changes every three or four minutes to keep everyone fresh — but it’s extremely rare in the NBA, where the best players usually soak up the bulk of minutes.

Morant is shooting 38.3 percent from the field and just 14 percent on 3-pointers through eight games. The fit has been clunky.

“His system is based on having an elite guard who has the ability to get his feet into the paint, and then all his strategy evolves from that. Morant should be a very good fit for it, (Iisalo) was surely excited about that when he got that job,” a European executive told ESPN. “He is running his system there. But it is not creating the advantages that are expected yet.”

Even with this tension, an immediate trade still feels unlikely. Sources told ESPN that Morant is viewed as a “borderline top-10” point guard — but not many teams are hunting for a primary ball-handling starter. And he still matters in Memphis.

“He sells shoes, he sells tickets, and he wants to play in Memphis when no one wants to,” a Western Conference assistant told ESPN.

Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported the same thing this week. Basically, if the Grizzlies are considering trading Morannt, they’re sure not in any hurry.

That said, should Memphis ever pivot, ESPN wrote that Jaren Jackson Jr. could become part of the conversation, too. That would mean ripping it down and rebuilding — and with a loaded 2026 draft, that’s the scenario rival execs quietly wonder about.

But right now, Memphis is evaluating. Not trading.