Scotty Pippen Jr. blames Ja Morant's injury as sole reason behind Grizzlies' sweep exit against OKC

The OKC Thunder became the first team to punch a second-round ticket by taking down the Memphis Grizzlies. OKC swept them in a best-of-seven series that included a 51-point win in Game 1 (April 20) and a 29-point comeback in Game 3 (Thursday).

However, the Grizzlies believe things could've been different if it weren't for Ja Morant's hip injury midway through Game 3.

Scottie Pippen Jr. told Lou Williams that Memphis felt like they stood a chance to beat the Thunder, as the team got better in every game, and a healthy Morant could've changed everything:

"I think we all felt pretty well," Pippen said on Tuesday, via 'Run It Back.' "We're winning at home. Obvioulsy, in the playoffs, homecourt advantage is one of the biggest things. When OKC handed us a 50-point loss, that was crazy, but in the second game, we came and got better. In the third game, we're up, Ja goes down, and even in that game we still competed, so, it could go either way if he doesn't go out."

Morant is the Grizzlies' best player, so having him on the court would've likely given them a better chance to compete, even if OKC was the best team in the league in the regular season.

NBA executives are no longer high on Ja Morant

The Memphis Grizzlies have made the rounds for all the wrong reasons this season. They went from being No. 2 in the West to firing Taylor Jenkins, and there are also reports about Ja Morant's future with the team being in jeopardy.

Tim McMahon of ESPN reported that his trade value might not be as high as it once was. Talking to Brian Windhorst on "The Hoop Collective," he claimed that league executives are no longer high on the former No. 2 pick.

“When I'm talking to people around the league, GMs, execs, scouts, I don't have people telling me that they think Ja is a top-10 player when he's healthy anymore,” McMahon said on Monday.

Morant's injuries, demeanor and off-court issues may have cast doubts about his status as a budding superstar, and after all that has transpired about his relationship with Taylor Jenkins, the Grizzlies might not be able to get the elite return package they could've landed for him a couple of years ago.

Whether they will decide to move on from Morant or run it back with their roster remains to be seen.