Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has agreed to a five-year rookie maximum extension, the team announced on July 6.
BIG 12. BIG MEMPHIS 〽️💙 pic.twitter.com/YFPFq22no8
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) July 6, 2022
Memphis is my home 💙
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) July 1, 2022
The deal reportedly is worth $193 million over five years. It was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on July 1.
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has agreed on a five-year, $193M designated rookie maximum extension that could become worth $231M, his agent Jim Tanner of @_TandemSE tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022
This extension was merely a formality for the point guard voted the NBA’s Most Improved Player in his third season and who also finished seventh in voting for league MVP.
The deal is worth at least $193 million and potentially up to $231 million. It’s the largest contract the Grizzlies have ever handed out, topping the max contract of $153 million Mike Conley received in 2016.
The 22-year-old guard climbed to NBA superstardom last season, proving to be one of the most electrifying players in the league. Morant averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists in 2021-22 while leading the Grizzlies to the second-best record in the Western Conference.
General manager Zach Kleiman made clear the Grizzlies would be keeping Morant while trying to avoid violating NBA rules and the CBA a couple of days after Memphis lost the Western Conference semifinals to the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 draft is coming off his best season yet. The 2020 Rookie of the Year became an All-Star starter this season and also finished on the All-NBA’s second team, making him eligible for a maximum contract extension this offseason.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
