Ja Morant‘s 2023-24 season has come to an end. According to a statement put out by the Memphis Grizzlies, Morant injured his shoulder during a training session on Saturday, and after further examination, it was determined that he suffered an injury that will require surgery.
“At Saturday’s training session, Morant suffered a subluxation of his right shoulder. Following ongoing soreness and instability, Morant underwent an MRI that revealed an underlying labral tear,” the team said in a statement. “Morant will undergo season-ending surgery and is expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2024-25 season.”
Morant’s campaign has been limited to nine games as he served a 25-game suspension to start the season. His return did serve as a galvanizing force for the team, as Memphis went 6-3 with Morant in the lineup and was able to make up a little ground in the race to sneak into the back of the Play-In Tournament — they’ve gone 7-20 without him in the lineup. Injuries have hit the team particularly hard this season, as Steven Adams is out for the year and Brandon Clarke is sidelined after an achilles injury last March.
While he hasn’t played in a ton of games, Morant shouldered a heavy load when he was on the floor, as he averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.6 rebounds in 35.3 minutes a night.