What Happened to the 2nd Pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and Where Is He Now?

I remember watching the 2019 NBA Draft with particular interest, not just because Zion Williamson's selection felt like a foregone conclusion, but because of the intriguing debate surrounding the second pick. The Memphis Grizzlies were on the clock, and the basketball world was split between Ja Morant and RJ Barrett. When Commissioner Silver announced Morant's name, a wave of anticipation washed over the league. We were about to witness the arrival of a player whose athleticism seemed to defy physics. Little did we know then just how dramatically his career would mirror the intense pressure described in that volleyball-crazed nation analogy—where even the smallest setbacks become magnified under the brightest of spotlights.

His rookie season was nothing short of spectacular. I recall analyzing his first game against the Heat where he put up 14 points and 6 rebounds, and thinking, "This kid is different." By the end of that season, he'd averaged 17.8 points and 7.3 assists, securing the Rookie of the Year award in what felt like a unanimous decision. The Grizzlies had found their franchise cornerstone. The following year, his numbers jumped to 19.1 points and 7.4 assists per game, and he led Memphis to their first playoff appearance in three years. The highlight reel dunks became weekly occurrences; that posterizing dunk over Aron Baynes still circulates on social media. He wasn't just playing—he was performing, bringing a showtime flair back to the league that we hadn't seen since prime Derrick Rose.

But here's where the narrative takes a turn, much like the constant scrutiny faced by athletes in win-obsessed cultures. The 2022-23 season became a case study in how quickly fortunes can change. In early March 2023, during a routine drive to the basket against the Bucks, he felt a pop in his right knee. The diagnosis was a torn meniscus, sidelining him for the remainder of the season and the playoffs. I remember discussing this injury on a podcast and emphasizing how devastating it was, not just physically but psychologically. For a player whose game is built on explosive athleticism, a lower-body injury creates existential questions. The Grizzlies, who were sitting at 3rd in the Western Conference at the time, stumbled without him and were eliminated in the second round.

Since returning from that injury, the trajectory has been complicated. His stats in the 2023-24 season—around 25.1 points and 8.1 assists—look fantastic on paper. But watching him play, I've noticed a slight hesitation when attacking the rim, a fraction of a second delay that wasn't there before. He's adapted by developing a more reliable three-point shot, improving from 30% his rookie year to nearly 35% this past season. Yet, the off-court incidents have piled up. The 8-game suspension for the laser pointer incident and the ongoing investigations have created a cloud of uncertainty. From my perspective in player development, these off-court distractions often impact performance more than people realize—it's the mental fatigue that shows in fourth-quarter decisions.

The comparison to that volleyball-crazed mentality becomes painfully relevant here. In today's NBA media landscape, every missed game, every social media controversy, every shooting slump gets amplified into a career-defining narrative. I've seen talented players crushed under this weight, and Morant seems to be navigating these waters without a perfect compass. His Instagram live videos showing firearm possession—while perhaps just youthful indiscretion—created legitimate concerns about his judgment. The league office fined him approximately $50,000 for the first incident, but the damage to his reputation might cost him endorsement deals worth millions.

Where is he now? As I write this in what would be the 2024 offseason, he's at a crossroads that many young superstars face but few navigate successfully. The Grizzlies have built a solid roster around him—Jaren Jackson Jr.'s defensive presence and Desmond Bane's scoring take some pressure off—but the team's championship window depends heavily on Morant's ability to stay on the court and out of trouble. From my conversations with league insiders, I know the organization is investing heavily in his support system, including sports psychologists and veteran mentors.

What fascinates me most is how his story represents the modern athlete's dilemma: incredible talent paired with unprecedented scrutiny. The same highlights that make him must-see television also get dissected frame by frame when things go wrong. I believe he has the talent to be a top-5 player in this league—his 47-point performance against Golden State last season proved that. But talent alone isn't enough anymore. The greats learn to manage the noise, to turn the pressure into fuel rather than letting it become a distraction.

Looking ahead, the path forward requires what I like to call "selective amnesia"—forgetting the setbacks while learning from them. If he can maintain his health (he's missed approximately 45 games over the past two seasons due to various injuries) and mature off the court, the Grizzlies have the pieces to contend for championships. But that's a big "if" in today's NBA, where social media magnifies every misstep and the 24-hour news cycle turns minor incidents into major controversies. His journey reminds me why I both love and worry about modern sports—we're watching phenomenal talent navigate impossible pressures, and the outcome is never certain until the final chapter is written.