Backlash! Morant suffers an ankle sprain! Negotiations for a 2-year, $130 million max contract underway

Earlier, Morant declared his intention to participate in all 82 games this upcoming season; however, he is currently being monitored weekly because of a left ankle sprain and has missed every preseason game to date...

In recent years, Morant has faced criticism off the court and his injury-prone nature has worsened. During the 23-24 season, he tore his right shoulder labrum and muscle, limiting him to just nine games. In 24-25, he was plagued by minor injuries and illnesses, playing only 50 regular-season games. This postseason, a hip injury sidelined him after only three games.

Given Morant’s style of aggressively driving inside while carrying significant risk, combined with being a guard under 1.9 meters tall, frequent injuries are almost inevitable. His outside shooting remains inconsistent, with a career three-point shooting percentage of just 31.6%, averaging 1.4 made threes per game. He struggles to make a strong impact without driving, but driving too much leads to injuries, creating a vicious cycle.

Now 26 years old, Morant is no longer a rising star. If he fails to deliver significant results soon, the Grizzlies’ management will likely lose patience and start looking for a new cornerstone player.

It is worth mentioning,that since July 7 this year, Morant has been eligible to sign a 2-year, $128.4 million max extension with the Grizzlies, and he plans to negotiate this contract directly with the team without an agent.In fact, if Morant truly met the Grizzlies’ expectations and was performing exceptionally well, the extension would have been signed long ago instead of being delayed until now.

As mentioned, Morant’s many issues have clearly shaken the Grizzlies’ confidence in him. The delay in reaching an early extension deal (deadline July 1 next year) likely reflects either a desire to lower the price or thoughts of parting ways, especially since his current contract runs through the summer of 2028.

It should be noted that trade rumors surrounding Morant have been persistent over the past two years and are not baseless. In today’s NBA, there are no untouchable players; loyalty means little when financial interests are at stake.