Ja Morant is getting ready for the next season and the Grizzlies are moving the pieces around to have a team ready to be in playoff contention. To do that, Luke Kennard‘s renewal became a vital decision for the Memphis front office. But nothing is easy anymore in the apron world, thanks to the Collective Bargaining Agreement. To stay as far as possible from the first apron, the Grizzlies made a decision that broke Ja Morant’s heart. He took to social media to express his dismay at the decision as it would force him to part ways with his “LA Brudda”.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Grizzlies are trading Ziaire Williams and a 2023 second-round pick via the Mavericks to the Nets for Mamadi Diakite. Ja Morant took to social media and shared multiple pictures and a video of himself with Ziaire on his IG story. He captioned the first picture, “This hurt ngl. my la bruddaaaaa”. In the video, he wrote a caption, “know we (lock emoji). go be you killa !! know i’m witcha @ziaire”.

Despite Morant’s lament, this was a necessary move from the franchise’s perspective. With Ziaire shipped out, the franchise saved $6.1 million, which could now be used to work towards Kennard’s contract. The Grizzlies now find themselves $15.7 million away from the first apron and $26.5 million away from the second apron.

Ziaire was the 10th overall draft pick in 2021 and, since then, spent three seasons with the Grizz. Last season, he averaged 8.2 points per game and 3.5 rebounds in the 51 games he played. With him gone and the Grizzlies seeking a comeback season, Ja Morant will certainly be their go-to player to lead the team.

How does Ja Morant’s return affect the Grizzlies?

It’s been a couple of difficult seasons for Ja Morant. Following his suspension over the g*n fiasco, the Grizzlies found themselves in a lurch. That was compounded further when Morant was ruled out due to a subluxation that required surgery, effectively ending his season. Despite that, the 24-year-old secorded 25.1 points in the 9 games he played. His absence was a big reason for the Memphis side finishing 13th in the West, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

Morant’s return to point guard next season will again make the Grizzlies a favorite to make the playoffs. His menacing one-on-one shooting, mazy drives through the lane, and smooth handling make him one of the best in the league in his position. His two All-Star appearances and All-NBA selection are enough to validate that. With the addition of Zach Edey now, if the majority of the core team remains healthy, it is unlikely that the Grizzlies will repeat their 27-55 record from last season.