By: Justin Gincauskas
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant will undergo season-ending labrum surgery, the team announced Monday. The Grizzlies expect Morant to recover in time for the start of the 2024-25 season.
Morant suffered a subluxation of his right shoulder during Saturday’s training session. He continued to deal with instability and soreness in the shoulder, leading him to undergo further testing. An MRI revealed that Morant suffered an underlying labral tear, thus putting an end to his season.
The 24-year-old guard missed the first 25 games of the season after the league suspended him for brandishing a gun on Instagram Live on May 13, which was the second time he showed a firearm on social media. The NBA suspended him for eight games for the first incident in March.
Morant returned from suspension on Dec. 19, scoring 34 points in a 115-113 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. He reached the 30-point mark in three of his first four games back.
With the season-ending surgery, Ja Morant will finish the season appearing in just nine games. In those nine games, he averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game. The Memphis Grizzlies were 6-3 with Morant in the lineup. His final game of the 2023-24 season came in a 127-113 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 5.
Following the news of his injury, Morant took to X (formerly Twitter) to post a blue heart emoji. The two-time All-Star is in the first year of a five-year, $197 million contract with the Grizzlies.
With Morant’s injury, the Grizzlies will likely look ahead to next season as they sit near the bottom of the standings. Memphis is in 13th place in the Western Conference. They currently have a record of 13-23 and sit 4.5 games back of the Los Angeles Lakers for the 10th seed in the West.
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