Ja Morant Net Worth And NBA Contract Before His Grizzlies Suspension, Gun Trouble

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant's net worth could take a hit following his recent behavior and the allegations against him.

The 23-year-old, who is estimated to be worth $80 million, according to Sportskeeda, was suspended for at least two NBA games after he live-streamed himself handling what appeared to be a gun at a strip club in Denver, Colorado.

Morant streamed the video on his Instagram account early Saturday, hours after the Memphis Grizzlies lost an away match to the Denver Nuggets.

"We are aware of a social media post involving Ja Morant and are investigating," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said later that day, according to a report by the Associated Press.

As a result of his suspension, Morant will miss out on a game against the Clippers Sunday and another one with the Lakers Tuesday.

The NBA could fine or suspend Morant should it find any wrongdoing.

He is likely to face legal consequences as he was in possession of a firearm while out of his state, ESPN's Bobby Marks said in a Twitter post.

Under the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement, players traveling on any league-related business are not allowed to possess "a firearm of any kind or any other deadly weapon."

Morant has apologized in a statement released Saturday, saying that he takes "full responsibility" for his actions.

"I'm sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. I'm going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being," Morant's statement read.

It is unclear if Morant is planning to be away from his team for longer than his two-game suspension.

Prior to Saturday's incident, Morant was named a defendant of a civil lawsuit in Shelby County, Tennessee, over allegations that he repeatedly punched a 17-year-old boy in September last year and later threatened the minor.

The NBA star was also accused of threatening a Memphis mall's head of security just four days after the alleged assault.

Morant's net worth could take a hit moving forward depending on how things unfold from here.

The Grizzlies point guard, who had just launched his first signature shoe, the "Ja 1," early last month, was set to start a five-year contract worth between $193 million and $231 million next NBA season, Sportskeeda reported.

Morant's shoe sponsor, Nike, has promised that it will continue supporting the athlete.

"We appreciate Ja's accountability and that he is taking the time to get the help he needs. We support his prioritization of his well-being," the company, which signed a $12 million, multi-year contract with Morant in 2019, said in a statement released to sports journalist Shams Charania.

In addition to Nike, Morant also has a multi-year endorsement deal with Powerade. The announcement that he would be the new face of the sports-drink label was made just days before his suspension.

It is unclear how much the deal was worth, but Bloomberg reported that Morant will appear in television commercials, billboards, store displays and events for Powerade's relaunch.

The Athletic's Sam Amick reported that Nike and Powerade "have vested interests in the rehabilitation of [Morant's] image."

In addition to his earnings from endorsements, so far, Morant has made nearly $40 million from his NBA salary since being drafted by the Grizzlies in 2019, according to Spotrac.

Memphis currently ranks second in the Western Conference standings, led by Morant, who is averaging 27.1 points and 8.2 assists per game.