The NBA is always about its superstars; it always has been, it always will be. Inevitably, however, there always comes a time when the league is going through a transition period — and questions arise on who is the next cohort of superstars ready to carry the mantle and take the league forward. Naturally, passing the baton is far more difficult for some generations over others, especially when we say goodbye to a golden generation of superstars as we did in the early-to-mid 2000s and 2010s.
Fast forward to today and the Association finds itself in the same position - wondering who is going to embrace being the face of the league when Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and Golden State Warriors legend Stephen Curry decide to walk away from the game.
Names such as Anthony Edwards , Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , Cade Cunningham and Luka Doncic have all been in the conversation at one point or another.
Names that were ready to step into the light and carry the league forward, but none have yet to take the bull by the horns and emphatically stamp their name as the guy just yet. Victor Wembanyama seemed to put his hand up after the first two games of this regular season, but has since reverted to somewhat normal levels.
According to legendary shooting guard Dwyane Wade , however, he has another name he wants to add to the mix and that's Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant .
If you've been following the league this campaign, Morant's situation in Memphis has been one of the more intriguing storylines that seems to take a different twist and turn every day. It's clear there is friction between the coaching staff and Ja, resulting in him seemingly quitting on his team during games this season. It's been a bad look for him, who has already undergone his fair share of drama off the court, which has led to suspensions and financial ramifications.
Given his poor performances and lack of general effort to start this season, you can make a case that his stock and reputation around the Association have never been lower. Still, Wade believes that when he's healthy, Ja is absolutely among the candidates to be the face of the league. He's very excited about the next generation of stars and has faith that Ja can reach those heights again.
"The biggest thing about all of this is the young guys are here and there was a point in time where in the NBA, I was kind of looking at this like 'Are they going to take it?'. When are you going to be like 'Hey KD, hey Bron, hey Steph, I appreciate y'all, but it's our time.' Like. when are y'all going to do that. And it's here," Wade said before continuing.
"One of our favorite players is Ja Morant. It's all about health with Ja. When Ja stays healthy, he gets Memphis right and Memphis is right there because he's a dog. He's a dog. Memphis are coming right back if Ja stays healthy and they're going to be a problem," he offered.
What makes Wade's belief even more compelling, even though he stated it at the start of 2025, cuts against the tide of public opinion.
Most analysts have even then started to shift their focus toward players who are easier to trust — guys who show stability, professionalism and steady growth.
Ja, on the other hand, has become unpredictable in a way that makes teams, fans and sponsors nervous. Yet Wade's comments highlight something that often gets lost in the noise: Morant's ceiling is still as high as anyone in the league.
When Ja is locked in, he's a force of nature. His downhill pressure collapses defenses in ways very few players in NBA history ever could. His playmaking has quietly become one of the most underrated aspects of his game and his ability to ignite a crowd or energize his teammates can shift the tempo of a game on a moment's notice. Those qualities don't simply disappear because a rough year derailed the narrative.
Wade has seen stars go through these phases before — the early turbulence, the ego battles, the pressure of sudden fame. And he's seen plenty of players recover. His confidence in Ja suggests he believes Morant's story is far from finished and that the traits that once made him a face-of-the-league contender are still embedded beneath the chaos.
These are big claims from Wade, though, especially considering the Grizzlies' General Manager Zach Kleiman is probably working the phone as you're reading this, trying to work out a trade to offload him and his $197 million deal.
At just 26 years old, it's hard to fathom how swift the fall from grace has been for Ja, who was an All-Star just two seasons ago and seemingly on the brink of breaking through as one of the league's genuine superstars.
Given the talent in and around his draft class, as well as the surge of players such as Wembanyama, one has to wonder if Ja should still be considered one of the upper echelon players under 27 years old in the league. While the league has changed, it also doesn't seem his game has adapted with the times, given his jump shot is still broken and he's finding it harder than ever to penetrate the lane when teams put wing length on him on the perimeter.
This isn't to say that Wade's belief is misplaced; Morant is obviously still incredibly talented with a ton of upside. The only issue is he might need a new situation to re-ignite that flame and remind the world he's as good as people remember.
For his sake, let's hope the ship hasn't sailed in him potentially being the next face of the league.
In reality, though, if the ship hasn't sailed yet, it's definitely about to leave the dock and he's running out of time.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 2, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
