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Ja Morant is away from the Memphis Grizzlies, and there's no timetable for his return. Morant reportedly entered a counseling program in Florida and will be out indefinitely.
A recent report on Twitter claimed that the Grizzlies have released Morant from his contract. The page cited The Athletic's Shams Charania as the source of the information. However, it should be noted that this report is false and was made by a parody account.
The account in question is called @TheNBACantrel on Twitter. It's a parody or satire account of NBA Central page, which is a legitimate account that reports news around the league. @TheNBACantrel is similar to other famous parody accounts such as ButtCrack Sports and Ballsack Sports.
The Memphis Grizzlies have no plans to release Ja Morant, who signed a five-year rookie max contract last season. The deal will kick off next season, and it would not be ideal to release him despite all the controversies.
Morant might be causing headaches for the Grizzlies but remains invaluable to the organization, the city and the NBA. He's no longer facing criminal charges in Colorado, but the league is still investigating whether he broke CBA laws or not.
If Morant is found to have broken CBA laws for bringing a gun on the team plane, he could be suspended for as much as 50 games. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has remained quiet on Morant's issues, while the Grizzlies continue to support him as he undergoes counseling.
NBA insider reckons Ja Morant won't play again this season
There's growing concern among Memphis Grizzlies fans that Ja Morant might not play again this season.
NBA insider Marc J. Spears believes the same, revealing this thoughts on Morant and whether he could return at some point later this season or even in the playoffs.
"I think there's a lot going on," Spears said on Brian Windhorst's 'Hoop Collective' podcast. "My prayers to him, that he figures it out. There's things I'm hearing that I'd rather probably not say on this podcast. I hope he's taking care of himself.
"I'm not really worried about the basketball part for him right now, I'm worried about the human part. When he does come back, he's healthy mentally and physically. My guess now is, not that you'd bet on this, that he doesn't play the rest of the season as he takes care of himself."
The Grizzlies (41-26) are second in the Western Conference. They could secure homecourt advantage in the playoffs, boosting their chances of making out of the first round. However, they might not reach their full potential without Morant.
