Ja Morant was a mere witness when the Memphis Grizzlies took down the Bucks on Sunday. The Grizzlies entered the fourth quarter trailing by six, but that didn’t last long. They completely flipped the script, outscoring Milwaukee by 19 in the final stretch. By the time the buzzer sounded, they had walked away with a 132-119 win.

Morant was sidelined for his second straight game with a right shoulder injury. He first hurt it after taking a tough bump during practice on Wednesday.

According to Jorge Sedano, Ja Morant can’t lift his right shoulder above shoulder level right now, leaving him with limited mobility. He was marked as ‘Doubtful’ on the injury report, so fans were hoping he’d play against the Bucks. The Grizzlies are rolling, sitting at 32-16 and ranking third in the West after winning 8 of their last 10. Still, Morant’s shoulder injury is raising some concerns. They face the Spurs tomorrow, and it’s looking unlikely that Morant will play.

Here’s the silver lining: Memphis has actually thrived without him this season, going 14-7 in games he’s missed. It’s honestly impressive how they’ve managed to stay strong despite him being out for 21 games. Still, the Grizzlies remain hopeful that help is arriving soon.

The Grizzlies have been in talks with Miami about Jimmy Butler, but they haven’t gotten very far. The team hasn’t put a real offer on the table yet. They’re holding back, not wanting to part with any key young players or important draft picks.

Here’s the deal—Butler’s three suspensions and the Heat’s inevitable trade decision may put them in a tough spot with leverage. According to The Athletic, any deal involving Butler will likely center around matching salaries. For Memphis, the package could include a mix of Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Brandon Clarke, Jake LaRavia, and John Konchar.

Now, while it’s been said Butler wouldn’t be thrilled to land with the Grizzlies, let’s not forget—Miami calls the shots. They’re probably more focused on taking whatever offer looks best, rather than holding out for the perfect one. But the Grizzlies are still ahead of the Warriors in this race.

Jimmy Butler doesn’t want to be a second superstar next to Ja Morant or Stephen Curry

When the 6x All-Star first requested a trade from Miami, he was open to nearly any team—except the Heat. Except the Grizzlies or the Warriors. He wasn’t very clear, was he? According to ESPN‘s Brian Windhorst, Butler told the Warriors he’s not interested in signing an extension with them, putting a halt to trade talks for now.

Golden State was considered a serious contender to land Butler, especially after a recent matchup with the Phoenix Suns that ESPN dubbed “the Jimmy Butler Bowl.” But with the Warriors sitting at 11th in the West (24-24), they’re still searching for scoring help alongside Steph Curry. Unfortunately, unless Butler changes his mind, they’ll need to look elsewhere.

Not making a move for Butler could hurt Golden State’s playoff hopes this year, but in the long term, it might be a blessing. With Curry’s career winding down, the Warriors need to focus on their future. Trading for a veteran like Butler could stall that plan.

It’s not just the Warriors who are out of the running—Chris Haynes reported Memphis and other teams were told not to trade for Butler. With Golden State out, all signs now point to the Suns. ESPN‘s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst revealed Phoenix’s main goal before the deadline is to land Butler, and he’s helping make that happen by shutting down other suitors.