Morant officially responds to trade rumors! 3J talks about Rich Paul's controversial remarks: once suspected to be AI-generated

On January 15th Beijing time, according to The Athletic's Berlin report, Ja Morant expressed that concerning the reports of the Memphis Grizzlies reviewing trade proposals involving him, his stance isto "accept reality."

After last week’s media revelations about the Grizzlies’ intention to trade him, Morant spoke to the media for the first time. During a brief six-minute press conference before the Grizzlies’ practice in Berlin on Thursday, his answers were mostly concise, occasionally sharp.

When asked if he would play in the two upcoming games against the Magic in Berlin on Friday and London on Monday, Morant replied, “Hopefully, I can play.” However, later that evening, the Grizzlies officially announced he would miss Friday’s Berlin game due to a right calf contusion. This injury has already sidelined him for five consecutive games, though coach Taylor Jenkins had said on Wednesday that Morant had a “chance” to play.

Besides that, when discussing his mindset and his relationship with the team that drafted him second overall in 2019 and stood by him through multiple injuries and off-court suspensions, Morant barely revealed any key details.

When asked if he believed he would remain with the Grizzlies past the NBA trade deadline on February 6th, Morant joked, “Are you guys only asking me this question?”

Regarding the cryptic posts he shared on social media following the trade rumors and the criticism from fans (who nicknamed him “Emotional Ja,” a label he himself acknowledged during the interview), Morant said, “Yeah, I saw that. It’s alright, kind of funny actually.”

When questioned about his physical condition and recovery training for a potential return, he said, “I feel pretty good.”

Earlier this season, Morant had a conflict with coach Jenkins over rotation issues, which led to a one-game suspension.Speaking about the coach, Morant said, “He’s a good guy. I don’t think there were any major ups and downs between us; that’s just the perception outsiders have.”

When asked how Memphis fans might react if they learn he could be traded soon, he responded, “I think you should be more concerned about how I react, not others. After all, my attitude is what matters most.”

A reporter agreed with his viewpoint, noting that the entire NBA community indeed wants to know his perspective on the potential trade and asked him to compare this situation with other challenges he has faced in his career,Morant summed it up with one word: “Different.”

Morant was an All-Star in 2023 and is still regarded as a “star” by the NBA, which is particularly important this week. The Berlin game on Friday and the London game against the Magic on Monday will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video and classified as “nationally televised games” by the league. According to NBA rules, stars cannot miss such games unless truly injured.

Morant’s calf contusion occurred before the trade rumors surfaced. However, after the rumors broke, his status for the next two games changed from “questionable” to “out.”

Currently, his playing status has been reassessed as “likely to play.” Even if he ultimately does not appear, he and the team will probably provide a reasonable explanation—after all, he has been sidelined for a significant period due to injury. If the league investigates, it will likely confirm his injury was legitimate, and the NBA cannot force any player to return by a certain date.

Nonetheless, the trade rumors have clearly upset Morant.According to league sources, he has told at least two teammates and other NBA players that he will no longer play for the Grizzlies. Additionally, during training in Berlin, he had a confrontation with teammate Ziaire Williams, ending on bad terms.

The 26-year-old Morant has played only 18 games this season, averaging 19 points per game with a career-low shooting percentage of 40%. He is not the only star on the Grizzlies linked to trade rumors.

In a completely separate matter, Grizzlies’ big man Jaren Jackson Jr. was also mentioned by LeBron James’ agent Rich Paul as a potential trade target for the Los Angeles Lakers. On his podcast, Rich Paul suggested the Lakers could offer Austin Reaves in exchange for Jackson (to pair with Luka Dončić).

Jackson said he saw Paul’s proposed trade idea but just laughed it off. “There are too many podcasts nowadays,” Jackson said. “At first, I thought it wasn’t real. Now you have to figure out what’s true or false, and I’m not as tech-savvy as these younger people.”“I was even wondering if it was AI-generated or some kind of deepfake content. That’s all I could think of; honestly, I didn’t have much of a reaction.”