Klay Thompson on Ja Morant: He's a guy who rarely takes accountability

Nov 22, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) brings the ball up court against the Memphis Grizzlies during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Klay Thompson is tired of hearing Ja Morant talk so much. Morant, who missed his third straight game because of a calf strain, verbally confronted Thompson after the final buzzer of the Memphis Grizzlies' 102-96 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night. Security staffers and coaches from both teams separated the players to prevent the situation from escalating, but the tension between them has been simmering since at least the 2022 playoffs, when Thompson helped Golden State eliminate the Grizzlies en route to earning his fourth NBA championship. "He's a funny guy," Thompson said. "He has a lot to say all the time, especially for a guy who rarely takes accountability."

ESPN

After Morant and Thompson had their exchange, Morant walked over to Grizzlies guard Cam Spencer during the team broadcast's postgame on-court interview and took a jab at Thompson, who had a season-high 22 points in the loss but missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 20.6 seconds remaining. "Tell him who the best shooter in the house was," Morant said to Spencer. "It wasn't bro from Golden State." Thompson described Morant's on-court comments as "nothing of intelligent depth," and then alluded to the off-court issues, suspensions and injuries that have marred Morant's career since he made consecutive All-Star appearances in 2022 and 2023. ESPN | Nov. 23, 2025

Hoop Central: Klay Thompson & Ja Morant exchanging words. ?? Twitter | Nov. 23, 2025

Given Morant hasn't improved as a shooter -- he was an abysmal 10-for-60 from 3 before his latest calf injury -- it's easy to see why he's not the same player who electrified the league and appeared to have Memphis on a championship-caliber trajectory a few short years ago. Sources expect Memphis to explore the trade market for Morant but, like Davis, believe it will be difficult to get value for him. ‘I do think they'll move him,’ a West scout said. ESPN | Nov. 21, 2025

Memphis is not willing to consider Ja Morant trades unless it’s a no-brainer (which no one is calling with), according to sources. They want to make this work. Morant may have to force the issue if there is to be a trade. FanSided | Nov. 18, 2025

Zach Lowe: "I will say with Ja — teams that are watching him, and I talked to one of them over the weekend — they’re throwing his current level of play into the trash. They’re saying, 'This looks to us like a guy who wants out.' And they’re going to judge him more by his long-term track record — whatever that even is at this point, given his games played issues over the last few years — than by what they’re seeing right now." "But, I mean… he’s averaging 18 a game, shooting 36% from the field, 17% from three, and just looks disengaged for half of every game on both ends of the floor." YouTube | Nov. 18, 2025

Michael Scotto: Ja Morant will be re-evaluated in two weeks after suffering a Grade 1 right calf strain, Grizzlies say. Twitter @MikeAScotto | Nov. 17, 2025

Isaiah Thomas on Ja Morant: For a young team that's supposedly exciting and it got a lot for the future, these things shouldn't be happening. This is something that happens on losing situation teams, not something that happens on a team with a superstar player like Ja Morant. YouTube | Nov. 16, 2025

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Klay Thompson on Ja Morant: He's a guy who rarely takes accountability

Reporting by Staff, Hoops Hype / Hoops Hype

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