As Ja Morant was leaving 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 win over the Orlando Magic during Sunday’s NBA London Games.
Morant — who finished with 24 points, 13 assists and 3-of-4 made 3-pointers — insisted that he does not want to be traded amid rumors that his departure from the Grizzlies could be pending.
“Everybody in here who knows me, knows I’m a very loyal guy,” said Morant, per Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian.
“I got 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 made his return to the lineup after a six-game absence, discussed being back on the court following the performance.
“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 people I’m meeting for the first time. It was big time. Just walking off and representing Memphis is what it’s all about.”
Morant has been the subject of trade rumors in recent weeks, with potential ties to the Bucks, Heat, Pelicans and Toronto Raptors, among others.
In the event Morant is traded, a deal is not expected to yield a ton for the controversial star, who has missed 178 games out of a possible 391 since the start of the 2021-22 season — including playoffs.
Before Sunday’s outburst, Morant had been averaging 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 seemingly hopes to string together more of these outings in the same place he’s called home throughout his pro career.
