Adam Silver says Ja Morant discipline would come 'shortly after' NBA Finals

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant won’t face disciplinary action from the NBA until after the Finals, league commissioner Adam Silver said in a press conference on Thursday.

“In assessing what discipline is appropriate — if that’s the case — we look at the history of prior acts, but then we look at the individual players’ history as well, and the seriousness of the conduct,” Silver said. “Those are all things that get factored. It’s not an exact science. It comes down to judgment at the end of the day on the part of me and my colleagues in the league office.

“In terms of the timing, we’ve uncovered a fair amount of additional information. We probably could have it to a head now, but we made the decision — and I believe the Players’ Association agrees with us — that it would be unfair to these players and these teams to announce the results of that investigation. And given that we’re in the offseason, and he’s now been suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies indefinitely, nothing would have changed anyway in the next few weeks.

“My sense now is that shortly after the conclusion of the Finals, we will announce the outcome of that investigation.”

Morant was suspended indefinitely by the Grizzlies on May 14 after he appeared to be holding a gun in another social media video that was streamed live on Instagram. Morant was suspended eight games for a similar incident in March and fined an estimated $669,000 in salary. In that two-week span, Morant sought counseling at a Florida facility.

Following his most recent suspension, Morant released the following statement via ESPN:

“I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me. This is a journey and I recognize there is more work to do. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself.”

Morant, 23, signed a five-year designated rookie contract extension last summer worth $193 million in guaranteed salary. He averaged 26.2 points, 8.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game for the No. 2 seed Grizzlies during the 2022-23 regular season.