Unloading Ja Morant

For longtime habitués, the National Basketball Association (NBA) grapevine has a familiar way of sneaking in turning points, and often through the telling phrase “entertaining offers.”

- ANTHONY L. CUAYCONG

It was most certainly the language used when discussing the Grizzlies’ increasing interest in unloading Ja Morant. Not shopping him aggressively, not rushing a decision, but just “listening.” The hairsplitting notwithstanding, their newfound willingness to let go of an identity they hitherto willingly wrapped around their onetime cornerstone’s velocity and bravado is a veritable admission that lands with weight. No longer is it even about impatience; a once-clear future has become too blurry to protect.Morant’s superstar arc is predicated precisely on his uniqueness, but the very absence of a linear path has turned into a hindrance. The explosive guard who not too long ago embodied the Grizzlies’ defiant rise to competitiveness has spent more time unavailable than unstoppable. Injuries, suspensions, and uneven play have dulled the edge that made him