Ja Morant allowed to travel, practice with Grizzlies while suspended - ESPN

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant will be permitted to practice and travel with the team while serving his 25-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the league to begin the season.

«I think it's great for Ja, and I think it's great for the group that he can be with us day to day,» Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said during the team's media day Monday. «The NBA basically has said that as long as Ja continues to stay on track, he's going to be clear to participate in all private team activities, so practices, shootarounds, traveling with the team. He's not going to be with us obviously for preseason games and the first 25, but we'll see him out there and we can't wait to have him back Game 26.»

Morant was suspended for posing with a handgun in a live-streamed video on May 13, less than two months after he was suspended eight games for displaying a handgun in an intoxicated state on a live-steamed video from a Denver nightclub. The NBA news release issued on June 16 announcing Morant's suspension stated that he would be «required to meet certain conditions before he returns to play and will be ineligible to participate in any public league or team activities.»

Morant, an All-Star the last two seasons who is entering the first year of a five-year, $197 million maximum contract, did not participate in Monday's media day.

«He's been putting in great work and I think taking a lot of steps in the right direction and a healthy positive direction,» Kleiman said Monday. «I would just leave it at that.»

Kleiman declined to say whether the Grizzlies would take any extra measures to attempt to help Morant avoid another incident at a nightclub, saying he intends to keep those discussions «internal.»

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