Is Ja Morant playing tonight against Dallas Mavericks? Latest on Memphis Grizzlies star's status (Jan. 9)

Ja Morant is done for the 2023-2024 NBA season as he is set to undergo surgery to repair his left shoulder. This means he will be out for the Memphis Grizzlies' game against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night and all that is left in the Grizzlies' regular-season schedule.

Morant joins a long list of players who are in the Grizzlies' injury report ahead of their showdown against the Mavericks.

Derrick Rose, who was signed by the Memphis Grizzlies to become Morant's mentor, will also sit out their game against the Dallas Mavericks due to a left hamstring strain. Rose is listed as "week-to-week," that is, he is being evaluated per week.

Also ruled out for the game are Brandon Clarke (Achilles tendon) and Steven Adams (knee). Clarke is expected to rejoin the Grizzlies after the All-Star break.

Santi Aldama could sit out the Memphis Grizzlies-Dallas Mavericks game as he is doubtful due to a left knee contusion.

Jaren Jackson Jr., on the other hand, also has a contusion in his right knee, and he is listed as "questionable" against the Dallas Mavericks.

What happened to Ja Morant?

Ja Morant hurt his right shoulder during the Memphis Grizzlies' practice on Saturday.

An MRI revealed that Morant has an "underlying labral tear," according to the Grizzlies' statement.

Ja Morant's stats vs. Dallas Mavericks

Ja Morant played eight games so far against the Dallas Mavericks. He averaged 21.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game.

While Morant did well in shooting with a 50.8% field-goal clip, he struggled from beyond the arc against the Mavericks, only converting 25% of his 3s in their eight head-to-head games.

In his last game against the Mavericks, Morant finished with 20 points, one rebound, four assists and one steal. He was 0-for-2 shooting from the deep.

When will Ja Morant return?

The Memphis Grizzlies announced that Morant will miss the remainder of the season due to a shoulder injury, and they also said that "he is expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2024-2025 season."

This could have been Morant's first game this season against the Mavericks, since he missed the first two meetings between the Grizzlies and the Mavericks due to his season-opening 25-game suspension.

The hype in the supposed first showdown between Morant and Luka Doncic for the 2023-2024 season prompted NBA TV to take over the national television broadcast for their Tuesday night game.

However, with Morant now out for the season, unless Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane catch fire again like they did against the Phoenix Suns, the game between the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks lost much of its pre-game luster.