Ja Morant was absent from the lineup for the Memphis Grizzlies for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 NBA season. He was serving a suspension for multiple off the court issues, and didn’t join his team for the year until late December. But after an unfortunate mishap in a workout session over the weekend, Morant’s entire season lasted just nine games.

NBA: Grizzlies Have Little Hope With Morant Out For Year

BREAKING: Ja Morant is out for the rest of the season due to a labrum tear pic.twitter.com/Pd1cH3ROkm

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 9, 2024

Morant was the shot in the arm that the Grizzlies had desperately been looking for all season long. They ranked at the bottom of the league in some of the major statistical categories, many of which were ones that a player with Morant’s caliber could help boost.

And he did when he returned. Memphis was 6-19 through the first 25 games on the schedule, one of the worst marks of any team through the first two months. But with him in the lineup, the Grizzlies went 6-3, defeating teams like the Pelicans, Pacers, and Lakers along the way. They still had plenty of work to do if they even wanted to sniff the NBA Play-In Tournament and the #10 seed, but it seemed like they had turned a corner with the return of their superstar point guard.

But Ja Morant won’t play another game this season. During a workout session over the weekend, he suffered a separated shoulder, and will need surgery that will effectively keep him out until at least next year’s training camp.

Memphis Too Far Back To Make A Shorthanded Run

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) January 9, 2024

It is a tough blow for Memphis, who had already lost a starter to season-ending injury long ago. Center Steven Adams never saw the court in 2023-24, and will join Morant on the bench in watching the Grizzlies try to claw their way out of the hole without them.

Despite the winning spurt that Morant helped provide, the Grizzlies still have a large gap between them and the next team up in the Western Conference. The Jazz and Warriors are essentially tied in terms of winning percentage, and Memphis is a full four games behind both of them. They are 4.5 games behind the 10th-seeded Lakers.

The Grizzlies will take on the Mavericks during Tuesday’s NBA action, and will be listed as 7.5 point favorites.