Ja Morant Wants His Tattoo To Convince Grizzlies Fans He Wants To Stay In Memphis
Suddenly, Ja wants to stay put.
The chatter about the Memphis Grizzlies trading away Ja Morant before February's NBA trade deadline has never been louder. Shortly after the calendar flipped to 2026, reports even indicated that the Grizzlies were "entertaining offers" to trade away the two-time All-Star, but now Morant is doing his best to deflect all rumors.
Morant played in just his second game of 2026 on Sunday as the Grizzlies took on the Orlando Magic in London, and he looked like his old self across the pond, scoring 24 points, picking up 13 assists, and only turning the ball over twice in his team's 126-109 win.
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Maybe what was most telling is that Morant actually looked happy out on the floor, which has been a rare sight throughout this NBA season.
Ja Morant is shutting down trade speculation. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Smith-Imagn Images
During his postgame press conference, Morant was straightforwardly asked where he wants to play basketball, and he pledged his allegiance to the Grizzlies while reminding everyone he has the team's logo tattooed on his back.
"Everybody in here who knows me knows I’m a very loyal guy. I got a logo on my back, and that should tell you where I want to be," Morant stated.
Morant also went on to say that "representing Memphis is what it's all about."
These sentiments from Morant come as a bit of a surprise to anyone paying close attention in Memphis. In November, the point guard was suspended by the team for one game after challenging the authority of Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iliaso following a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
On top of that, Morant has only played in 19 of Memphis' 41 games this season. He's dealt with injuries, but it doesn't take an NBA insider to discover that he's also simply opted to sit out games for the sake of sitting out, which only added fuel to the trade rumor fires.
Morant is in the midst of a five-year, $197 million contract with the Grizzlies that is set to expire at the end of the 2027-28 campaign. He carries a cap hit of just under $40 million this season.