Ja Morant Snubs Knicks Fan at MSG

The Grizzlies’ star Ja Morant brushed off a fan’s pitch to join the Knicks with an indifferent “I’m cool” after Memphis fell 133-120 at Madison Square Garden. The loss highlighted ongoing struggles: Morant went 4-for-14 (after a 3-for-18 game), Memphis is 4-8, and the rookie coach matchup with Morant has already produced a one-game suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Morant’s flat answer of “No” when asked if he still had “joy” has fueled trade chatter ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline, even as he’s under contract beyond 2025-26 and remains popular in Memphis. Merlin sees a chestnut: talent and temperament pulling a team in two directions. Morant’s scoring pedigree (23+ points recent seasons) keeps his value high, but on-court cold spells and reported clashes with Tuomas Iisalo make Memphis’ choices urgent. If Morant rediscovers form and the club soothes the locker room, the saga cools; if not, whispers could become offers.