Ja Morant suspended for 25 games and will lose millions from Memphis Grizzlies salary after ban over gun controversy
JA Morant is poised to lose at least $47.6million after being handed a significant 25-game suspension without pay from the NBA for his latest gun controversy.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has come down hard on the troubled Memphis Grizzlies guard after he was seen on an Instagram Live video last month in which he appeared to be holding a gun.
Silver waited until after the NBA Finals to deliver the punishment to not take away attention from the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat.
After being given an eight-game suspension in March for a first gun incident, Silver wielded the hammer with a 25-game ban which will severely damage the Grizzlies' season and leave Morant's NBA career hanging in the balance.
Morant’s suspension begins immediately and will remain in effect through the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season.
He will also be required to meet "certain conditions" before he returns to play.
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“Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games,” Silver said in a statement.
“The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning.
"Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.
“For Ja, basketball needs to take a back seat at this time.
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"Prior to his return to play, he will be required to formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior.”
Morant said: "I've had time to reflect and I realize how much hurt I've caused.
"I want to apologize to the NBA, the Grizzlies, my teammates and the city of Memphis.
"To the kids who look up to me, I'm sorry for failing you as a role model. I promise I'm going to be better.
"To all of my sponsors, I'm going to be a better representation of our brands.
"And to all of my fans, I'm going to make it up to you, I promise."
The suspension will hit Morant especially hard in the pocket in terms of his NBA salary for the 2023-24 season as well as the future of his lucrative endorsement deals.
The 23-year-old was due to make $33,500,000 next year and he will now lose $304,545 per game for a total loss of $7.6million.
Morant's suspension will cost him even further due to a clause in the new CBA between the NBA and players' union in which players have to play 65 games in the regular season to be eligible for postseason awards.
The rule was designed to prevent load-management of star players but it will also impact Morant who will only be able to play a maximum of 57 games in the 2023-24 regular season.
Already Morant has lost around $40million due to his gun controversies.
In March, he was forced to forfeit $668,659 in salary after he was suspended eight games without pay for conduct detrimental to the league.
This came after he met with Silver in New York over his handling of a firearm at a suburban Denver nightclub.
Then in May, Morant was not selected for one of the 15 spots on the three All-NBA teams for the 2022-23 regular season.
The exclusion cost Morant the opportunity to earn an additional $39million over the next five seasons.
He had signed an extension last offseason which came with a super-max contract trigger if he made an All-NBA team this season.
But the five-year deal will remain at $194 million rather than climbing to a potential $233 million.
There are also millions of dollars at stake for Morant in regards to his endorsement deals.
The Grizzlies guard has sponsorship deals with the likes of Coca-Cola sports drink brand Powerade, Nike, Beats by Dre, and Panini America.
In March, Morant's adverts with Powerade were pulled following his eight-game suspension from the Grizzlies.
It is unclear if this deal will now be terminated following Morant's latest suspension.
Meanwhile, Nike released its Ja 1 "Hunger" colorway sneakers despite having removed his other signature sneakers from its website after his gun controversies.
The shoes, which were released on Nike's SNKRS app for $110, reportedly sold out quickly from their limited supply.
Morant has a reported $12million endorsement deal with Nike, which is yet to comment on his latest suspension.
In March, the company said: “We appreciate Ja’s accountability and that he is taking the time to get the help he needs. We support his prioritization of his well-being.”
Should Morant bounce back to have a long and successful NBA career, he will still have the capacity to earn hundreds of millions of dollars.
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However, his off-court incidents will likely have badly damaged his prospects of making as much as $500million, if not more.
Should he not be able to recover from this lengthy ban, Morant could lose it all.
