Ja Morant has reportedly agreed to a max extension deal that’ll last five years on Thursday, per his agent and NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has agreed on a five-year, $193M designated rookie maximum extension that could become worth $231M, his agent Jim Tanner of @_TandemSE tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022
After four seasons, Morant has emerged as a certified superstar after winning Most Improved Player of the year, earning his first All-Star bid, and being named to the All-NBA Second Team. Morant also averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game while leading Memphis to a 56-26 record, good for second place in the Western Conference. Morant led the Grizzlies to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs before Memphis fell to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in six games.
“Over the past three seasons, Ja has truly emerged as an NBA superstar and must-see TV,” Jim Tanner, Morant’s agent, told ESPN. “From Rookie of the Year to NBA All-Star starter, to All-NBA Second Team and Most Improved Player, we are incredibly proud of him for his dedication to improving his game and developing into a team leader. The Grizzlies are a perfect fit for Ja. The organization and the city have embraced him.
“The sky is the limit for Ja both on and off the court, and we look forward to helping him continue to build his legacy in the league.”
Memphis is my home đź’™
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) July 1, 2022
Morant and the Grizzlies will look to take the next step as one of the youngest and hard-nosed teams in the League. Led by Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane, this Grizzlies team could be a threat for many years to come. They even have a budding rivalry brewing with the 2022 champion Warriors. Morant and Draymond Green have gone back and forth on Twitter. Klay Thompson called Jackson out for some tweets he perceived as disrespectful.
damn pic.twitter.com/nU7WexVjN8
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) July 1, 2022
The young and hungry Grizzlies vs. the grizzled veteran Warriors could be the best NBA feud since the Kings and Lakers, Lakers and Spurs, or even Cavaliers and Pistson when LeBron James was coming up in the League as a young and upcoming threat to the NBA’s hierarchy.
