A former NBA All-Star has called for Ja Morant to be traded from the Memphis Grizzlies, drawing clear parallels between his own public trade situation in 2017 and that of the 2019 No. 2 overall pick.
DeMarcus Cousins appeared on the “Run It Back” podcast on November 3 and shared his thoughts on the developing Morant situation. “It’s time to move on. This ship has sailed,” Cousins stated. “The Grizzlies have made their decision as to who they’re siding with when they decided to suspend Ja Morant. This was a coaching staff that was brought in with a militant style of coaching. It doesn’t blend well with everybody, and it doesn’t blend well with modern basketball.”
The Grizzlies suspended Morant for one game on November 1 for “conduct detrimental to the team” after he appeared to criticize the coaching staff following a 117-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Since then, Morant has become the subject of swirling trade rumors.
### Ja Morant’s Struggles to Begin the Season
Morant’s performance during the loss to the Lakers on October 31 was uninspired; he scored just eight points on 3-of-14 shooting from the field. When reporters questioned him about his performance, he repeatedly deflected, directing attention toward the coaching staff.
“Go ask the coaching staff why,” Morant said when asked whether he was lacking his usual energy. “According to them, don’t play me. That was the message after [the game].”
The 2025-26 season has been a difficult start for Morant, his first full year playing under new Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo. Through six games, he is averaging 20.8 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds—all below his 2024-25 season averages. Morant is also struggling from beyond the arc, shooting just 15.6% from three-point range.
Iisalo was hired as the Grizzlies head coach after serving as interim following the firing of Taylor Jenkins last season. A native of Finland, Iisalo brings extensive coaching experience from Europe, including a head coaching stint at Paris Basketball. Morant, meanwhile, spent his first six NBA seasons playing under Jenkins.
### DeMarcus Cousins’ Falling Out With the Kings
Cousins has his own history of being traded after a deteriorating relationship with his original team. While with the Sacramento Kings, he was suspended for one game by the NBA on February 7, 2017, after accruing 16 technical fouls in just 50 games—an NBA record for the earliest automatic suspension.
Initially, the Kings claimed Cousins would not be traded, but on February 19, 2017, he was dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans. The organization cited concerns about extending Cousins’ contract given his history of technical fouls as a motivating factor behind the trade.
“It was time for a change and I decided this was the best direction for the organization,” Kings general manager Vlade Divac said in a team-issued statement. “Winning begins with culture and character matters.”
### What This Means for Morant and the Grizzlies
Cousins is clearly siding with Morant in this case, believing that Memphis will be unable to maximize the guard’s skillset under its new coaching staff. With tensions high and trade rumors mounting, Morant’s situation could be headed toward a similar outcome as Cousins’ time with the Kings.
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on the Grizzlies’ front office and coaching staff to see if they can resolve the issues or if a trade will become inevitable.
https://heavy.com/sports/nba/memphis-grizzlies/all-star-ja-morant-trade/