Ja Morant has hired Mike Miller of Lift Sports Management as his new representation. Miller also represents Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr.
Morant was previously represented by Jim Tanner.
Morant signed a five-year, $193 million extension with the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2022 offseason and cannot become a free agent until 2028.
On Monday night, the Grizzlies announced in a statement just how serious the issue was.
“Following ongoing soreness and instability, Morant underwent an MRI that revealed an underlying labral tear,” the Grizzlies said.
Morant missed the first 25 games of the season while serving an NBA suspension for displaying a gun on social media – his second such suspension in less than a year, after missing eight games last season for a similar offence.
He returned from the 25-game suspension and averaged 25.1 points in nine games, with the Grizzlies going 6-3 in those contests.
The Grizzlies are 7-20 without Morant this season, and are 4.5 games out of the final play-in spot in the Western Conference and now have to go the rest of the campaign without their best player, dramatically reducing their chances of returning to the NBA Playoffs.
It seems as though the severity of the shoulder issue caught the Grizzlies off-guard. On Sunday, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said Morant was dealing with soreness and even went as far as to say he it would be a game-time decision against the Suns.
Morant is in the first season of a five-year, $197 million contract. He’s earning about $34 million this season, though lost about $7.6 million of that because of the 25-game suspension.
Morant’s 25-game suspension without pay was announced in June. Commissioner Adam Silver handed that penalty down three months after issuing what became an eight-game ban after Morant held a gun in a suburban Denver nightclub while streaming himself live on Instagram.
Another livestream in May, this time while sharing the front seat of a car with one of his friends, showed Morant displaying a weapon again – leading to the 25-game suspension.
Testifying for the first time in a lawsuit roughly one week before he is expected to return from a 25-game NBA suspension, Grizzlies guard Ja Morant took the stand Monday in Memphis and said he acted in self-defense when he punched a teenager at his home in July 2022.
Morant, testifying during the first day of an immunity hearing at Shelby County Circuit Court, said he “swung first” at Joshua Holloway, then 17, “to protect myself” during an altercation that led to Holloway filing a lawsuit in September 2022 that accused Morant of assault.
The altercation, which attorneys representing both sides questioned Morant about at great length, came during a pickup basketball game at Morant’s Memphis-area home after Holloway, allegedly frustrated by losing several games, was accused of throwing a one-handed pass at Morant during a check ball situation. The ball hit Morant in the left side of his face, Morant testified Monday.
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