The Grizzlies believe this firing will help reconnect the team's tantalizing core -- and reignite Ja Morant. But in truth, this dismissal began with five other ones nearly a year ago.

The Athletic's Sam Amick, Fred Katz and Joe Vardon previously reported after that Morant "remained supportive of the coach up to the end," but did not enjoy playing in an offensive system that "takes the ball out of his hands and removes the screens he likes to use as a ball handler to make plays."

The Memphis Grizzlies fired Taylor Jenkins as their head coach on March 28. Jenkins had been with the franchise since 2019. He's viewed as one of the brightest young coaches in the NBA. In an April 1 report from ESPN, Ja Morant's frustrations were cited as a potential contributing factor in Jenkins' dismissal.