Ja Morant Draws Attention at Pistons-Magic Game With Former Teammate
After a season that brought trade speculation, the Memphis Grizzlies‘ Ja Morant made a surprising appearance at Monday’s NBA Playoffs Game 4 featuring the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic.
Morant, the 2020 NBA Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star, seemed on the verge of playing for another team this past season. That still could be the case, and his recent sighting with a former teammate drew plenty of attention online.
During the Pistons’ visit to Orlando, the cameras showed Morant sitting with Utah Jazz star Jaren Jackson Jr. to watch the Magic take a two-point lead into halftime. Fans reacted to seeing the two NBA players at the game, even though they aren’t involved in the postseason.
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A Bleacher Report photo post on X had over 300 comments and 15,000-plus likes reacting to the two NBA stars at the playoff game.
“Wow forgot they ain't even teammates anymore, damn Ja just in Memphis by himself now,” one individual wrote.
“Ja looking at the future and realizing he is the past,” another commenter said.
“Should have never broke that duo up, Ngl I thought they would have been locked in,” an X commenter said.
“How did the grizz not do s*** w those 3. Sad to see,” someone wrote.
While Ja and JJJ play for different teams, they still seem to have a close friendship, and appeared to be at the game in Orlando to support another friend and former teammate: Desmond Bane.
A clip from Clutch Points showed Bane hitting a huge three near the end of the first half, with Ja and Jackson’s reactions also included.
Ja has been with the Grizzlies since the team made him their No. 2 pick in 2019. Jackson joined the team the year prior as the team’s fourth pick, and despite also being a two-time All-Star and helping the team reach the postseason several times, they included JJJ in a trade before February’s deadline.
Memphis sent him along with John Konchar, Jock Landale, and Vince Williams Jr. to the Utah Jazz. In the major trade, they received Kyle Anderson, Walter Clayton Jr., Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang, and three first-round draft picks.
Meanwhile, Bane was also part of multiple playoff appearances with the team. He was traded last June to the Magic for Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and multiple draft picks. That included four unprotected first-round picks, including the 16th overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
They used that No. 16 pick as part of a draft trade, sending Yang Hansen to the Portland Trail Blazers for No. 11 pick Cedric Coward, who blossomed in his rookie season with 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game.
Ja is currently under a five-year, $197 million deal with Memphis through the 2027-28 season, which includes a trade kicker. There has been speculation that a trade could happen to send him to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he’d reunite with former coach Taylor Jenkins, whom the team just hired as head coach.
Additional rumors suggested the Sacramento Kings as a potential landing spot, while there is also some belief that Ja still wants to remain part of the Grizzlies.
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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 7:32 PM.