Ja Morant is not playing for the Memphis Grizzlies against the Miami Heat on February 21, 2026. The team has ruled him out with a left ankle stress reaction.He has been dealing with injuries through February, and Memphis is again without its main guard for this game on the road.Injury status and timelineMorant is officially listed as out for the game at Kaseya Center. He is also recovering from a left elbow UCL sprain that kept him out earlier this month. The team had said he would be checked again in about two weeks, which means he is expected to miss a few more games.This will be his fifth straight game out. There is still no clear date for his return.
How Memphis Grizzlies are handling Ja Morant’s absence
Without Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies have split the guard duties across several players. • Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr. are running the offense. • Cam Spencer and Walter Clayton Jr. are helping with ball movement and shooting. • Cedric Coward has taken on more scoring responsibility.In the frontcourt, Santi Aldama and Zach Edey lead the group. Jock Landale, John Konchar, and Braxton Key are part of the rotation. The team has struggled to create easy scoring chances without Morant and is now 21-33, 11th in the West.
Miami’s position going into the game
Miami comes in with a 30-27 record and sits eighth in the East. Their lineup includes Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Davion Mitchell, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Norman Powell.With Morant out, Miami can focus more on stopping Memphis’ other ball-handlers. The Heat had already beaten the Grizzlies 146-114 earlier this season. They are also favored for this game.
Team rosters for this matchup
Memphis Grizzlies (2025-26 core)
| Position group | Players |
| Guards | Ja Morant (injured), Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., Cedric Coward, Cam Spencer, Walter Clayton Jr., Javon Small |
| Wings | Jaylen Wells, G.G. Jackson, Vincent Williams Jr., Braxton Key |
| Bigs | Santi Aldama, Zach Edey, Jock Landale, John Konchar, Lawson Lovering |
Miami Heat (2025-26 core)
| Position Group | Players |
| Guards/Wings | Bam Adebayo, Davion Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jakucionis, Dru Smith, Norman Powell, Pelle Larsson, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Myron Gardner, Nikola Jović, Keshad Johnson, Keon Johnson, Jordan Young, Andre Wiggins |
| Bigs | Kelvin Ware, Vladislav Goldin |
Memphis Grizzlies vs Miami Heat Roster notes
Memphis no longer has Jaren Jackson Jr. on the roster after his move to Utah. That has reduced their depth, especially with Morant out.Also read: Memphis Grizzlies vs Miami Heat injury report: Who’s playing, injured and questionable players, head-to-head records, team stats, and more (February 21, 2026)
What it means for the game
Ja Morant is not playing. Memphis will rely on its current group to handle the game without him. Miami has the advantage and will look to use it at home.
