When Ja Morant left London, he told the media he didn’t want to leave Memphis.
The high-flying floor general dropped 20 points and 10 assists with no turnovers in the first half of the Memphis Grizzlies’ 126-109 victory over the Orlando Magic in Sunday’s NBA London Games.
Morant – who finished with 24 points, 13 assists and made 3-of-4 3-pointers – emphasized that he does not want to be traded amid rumors that his departure from the Grizzlies could be pending.
“Anyone here who knows me knows that I am a very loyal man,” Morant said, per Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian.
“I have a logo on my back, and that should tell you where I want to be,” Morant added, referring to his back tattoo of the Grizzlies logo.
Morant, who returned to the lineup after a six-game absence, discussed being back on the field after the outing.
“Just being able to play basketball is very therapeutic for me,” he said. “I know what I’m capable of and I was able to show that tonight and see the love from the people I’m meeting for the first time. It was big. Just walking away and representing Memphis is what it’s all about.”
Morant has been the subject of trade rumors in recent weeks, with possible ties to the Bucks, Heat, Pelicans and Toronto Raptors, among others.
In the event Morant is traded, a deal is not expected to make a ton of money for the controversial star, who has missed 178 of a possible 391 games since the start of the 2021-2022 season – including the playoffs.
Before Sunday’s outburst, Morant had averaged 19 points and 7.6 assists per game, with career lows in field goal percentage (40.1 percent) and three-point percentage (20.8 percent).
But if his latest effort is any indication, Morant is seemingly hoping to bring more of these outings together in the same place he’s called home throughout his professional career.
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