Ja Morant will be sidelined at least three weeks with a UCL sprain in his left elbow suffered during the Grizzlies’ loss to the Hawks on Wednesday, the team announced Saturday.
The @memgrizz today announced the following medical update for Ja Morant. pic.twitter.com/0UTXPJfIEF
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) January 24, 2026
This likely keeps Morant out through the All-Star break. Look for Cam Spencer to get a bump in minutes with Morant out.
Morant is averaging 19.5 points and 8.1 assists a game this season, and while there is reason for concern about his shooting efficiency — 23.5% from 3-point range this season and a 52.1 true shooting percentage that is well below the league average — that is still a lot of points and shot creation to replace.
This impacts a couple of things in Memphis.
One is making the postseason. At 18-25, the Grizzlies sit 12th in the West, 1.5 games out of the final play-in spot. The Grizzlies are 11-12 in games without Morant this season, with a +0.1 net rating when he is off the court — Memphis is essentially a .500 team without him. While that’s better than it’s been with him, there is no clear path to a winning streak and the postseason without Morant.
Second, this will not help his already sluggish trade market. League sources have told NBC Sports there is no serious trade market for Morant, at least at the price the Grizzlies are asking, in part because of concerns about his injury history and availability — he has not played more than six consecutive games in almost three years. This injury only adds to those concerns. The reality is there are teams willing to buy low and take a flyer on Morant, but the Grizzlies are asking for a young player and a first-round pick in any deal, and no team appears willing to give that up right now. This injury is not going to help that cause.
