NBA
Rival teams will monitor Memphis’ Ja Morant after ‘tension’ with head coach Tuomas Iisalo
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated35 minutes ago on November 03, 2025
The Memphis Grizzlies were on the road Sunday to face the Toronto Raptors. Despite their best effort, the Grizzlies lost 117-104 and are 3-4 on the season.
For that game, Memphis was without all-star PG Ja Morant. He was suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team. After a loss on Friday to the Lakers, Grizzlies’ head coach Tuomas Iisalo called out Morant for his leadership in front of the entire team and coaching staff. Morant responded dismissively, and the coaching staff decided he was to serve a one-game suspension. NBA insider Shams Charania said rival teams will monitor Morant’s status with the Grizzlies after “tension” with his head coach.
Will the Grizzlies listen to trade offers for Ja Morant?
There has reportedly been “tension” between Ja Morant and head coach Tuomas Iisalo over the past several days, and teams around the league are monitoring Morant’s situation in Memphis, per @ShamsCharania
(h/t @RealGM ) pic.twitter.com/ZAy0lG301x
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 3, 2025
With the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, the Grizzlies selected Ja Morant out of Murray State. Morant quickly made his presence in the NBA. He was voted Rookie of the Year in 2019-20 and was a first-time all-star by the 2021-22 season. The 26-year-old earned back-to-back All-Star selections for Memphis. While Morant saw success on the court, he’s had some off-court drama be the center of NBA attention.
A few seasons back, Morant went on Instagram Live and was seen holding a gun in his hand. The league office hit Morant with an eight-game suspension. However, the young PG was seen with a gun in his hand after serving the initial suspension. Eventually, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver ruled that Morant would serve a 25-game suspension to begin the 2023-24 season.
Ja Morant now has a 15% chance of being traded — up from 5% before he called out his coach last night 👀
(Via @PlayProphetX / https://t.co/F1e8y69T86) pic.twitter.com/oCIwHMBpVL
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 1, 2025
On Friday, October 31, the Grizzlies lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. After the game, Memphis’ head coach Tuomas Iisalo called out Ja Morant’s leadership in front of the coaching staff and players. The two-time all-star responded in “an inappropriate and dismissive way,” according to league sources. Later, it was announced that Ja Morant would serve a one-game suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team.”
NBA insider Shams Charania said that Ja Morant is expected to rejoin the team on Monday when they face the Pistons. Charania mentioned that both sides are looking to move past the incident from last Friday. However, rival teams will continue to monitor Ja Morant’s availability as the 2025-26 season progresses. If Morant’s relationship with the coaching staff and front office becomes shaky, the young PG could be on the trade market.
