Ja Morant ready to rejoin Grizzlies, NBA suspension over
The HinduJa Morant’s eight-game NBA suspension is over, and the two-time All-Star has rejoined the Memphis Grizzlies. “He is going to be part of practice, and obviously we’re hopeful for Wednesday so long as everything medically clears out,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said, adding the delay is part of the “ramp-up process.” The Grizzlies host Houston on Wednesday in the first of two consecutive games against the Rockets in Memphis. The league investigation found that Morant was “holding a firearm in an intoxicated state” — but did not prove the gun was owned by Morant “or was displayed by him beyond a brief period.” The NBA also did not find that Morant had the gun with him on Memphis’ flight to Denver, or that he possessed the gun in any NBA facility. “But in the future, I’m going to show everybody who Ja really is, what I’m about and change this narrative that everybody got.” Morant, whose suspension cost him $669,000 in salary and possibly a chance to max out the five-year contract he signed last July by making the All-NBA team, also has to keep working on himself away from basketball. “He’s doing a really good job recognizing the improvements he’s making,” the coach said, “and that he has to continue to make.” In his pregame comments before the game with Dallas on Monday, Jenkins seemed ready to move on as the Grizzlies prepare for the stretch run.