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Tim MacMahon explains why Ja Morant's suspension is "a sign that his act is wearing thin in Memphis"
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- Tim MacMahon explains why Ja Morant's suspension is "a sign that his act is wearing thin in Memphis"
A one-game suspension can be viewed as a light slap on the wrist for most NBA players. But ESPN's Tim Macmahon thinks this is not the case for Ja Morant .
The star point guard was suspended for one game by the Memphis Grizzlies on Nov. 2 after their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers for showing conduct that they deemed detrimental.
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Although the sanction was not as long as those imposed by the league, which Morant had a handful of in recent years, MacMahon claimed that he is pushing the Grizzlies to the brink.
"This is a sign that his act is wearing thin in Memphis," MacMahon said on the Hoop Collective. "It is an awfully significant step for a franchise that many times over the years has been perceived as extremely reluctant to hold Ja Morant accountable."
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MacMahon says there has been some build-up
In recent years, Ja has been the center of attention for both right and wrong reasons, mostly the latter.
In 2023, the league suspended Morant twice for brandishing a gun in a nightclub in Denver during a livestream and in a car during an Instagram Live. He missed 33 games because of the suspensions and forfeited over $8 million in pay.
This one-game suspension just added another one to this list.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania , tension has been building between the Memphis star and head coach Tuomas Iisalo over the past few days. Charania said that Iisalo reportedly criticized Morant's effort and leadership in a presser after a loss to the Lakers, resulting in the point guard acting out and responding inappropriately during a media scrum.
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For MacMahon, this is enough reason to question Morant's future with the team, which has viewed him as a centerpiece since he was drafted in 2019.
"People can say, 'Oh, it's just a one-game suspension. You're overreacting," he said. "Look, for it to get to the point where they feel it is necessary to hold Ja this publicly accountable tells you there's been some build-up. I would say there's been years of build-up here."
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Does Memphis still need Ja?
Ahead of the 2025-2026 NBA season, the Grizzlies made it clear that this season would be crucial for Morant, with general manager Zach Kleiman emphasizing his expectation for the star guard this year.
"I think it is fair to say as we continue to build this team, to be able to achieve a high-end outcome, we need Ja to be a consistent All-NBA-caliber player," Kleiman told reporters on media day in early October.
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But Morant's performances in previous seasons have been far from All-NBA level. Struggling with injuries and his off-court controversies, he last made the All-NBA team in 2021-2022 and has declined ever since. Now, pundits like MacMahon are wondering if Morant is still needed by Memphis.
MacMahon added that the $239.9 million, five-year contract extension of his co-star, center Jaren Jackson Jr ., is one of the tell-tale signs of his diminishing value to the Grizzlies, leading him to believe that there's more to this one-game suspension.
"There's been a lot of talk within the league about the Grizzlies are building this thing around Jaren Jackson Jr ., and let's see what happens with Ja Morant," MacMahon said. "His production does not justify the pain-in-the-a–s stuff."
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Morant returned from suspension and played against the Detroit Pistons . In 34 minutes, he scored 18 points on 5-of-16 shooting and tallied 10 assists and six rebounds in a 116-104 loss.
The Grizzlies will next face the Houston Rockets at home. As they recover from this early setback, all eyes are on its disgruntled superstar as teams monitor his situation, waiting on a possible trade.
Related: Ja Morant admits he lost his joy playing for Grizzlies: "We'll see"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
