NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said he's worried about what Ja Morant will do if he has too much free time during a lengthy suspension.
The Memphis Grizzlies star, 23, is facing a long ban in the 2023-24 season after being seen flashing a gun in an Instagram Live video again.
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Last week, Silver revealed the NBA would announce Morant's punishment after the end of the 2023 NBA Finals.
The NBA chief explained it would be unfair to the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets if the league dealt with the matter in the middle of their championship battle.
But the suspense seemingly encouraged more conversation around the two-time All-Star guard's fate.
As the NBA Finals go on, analysts and fans keep guessing how much time off the court Morant will be forced to take considering he served an eight-game suspension after the first gun incident.
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And Silver might have just added to the speculations in a Thursday appearance on the Dan Patrick Show.
Dan Patrick emphasized his concern over what Morant could do with all the free time he would suddenly have while serving a lengthy ban – saying it could be "adding to the issue" instead of fixing it.
"Precisely – and I’m worried about that too," Silver responded.
“And so again, putting aside the number of games that we may be looking at, I’d like to come up with a program – and frankly working with him – in which there is a joint sense, a mutual commitment, that we need to put together a program.
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"Not something that’s [like], 'A couple of sessions and I’m back.' But something that where he will be able to use time away from the game."
Silver added Morant was already banned indefinitely from team activities, there just isn't a lot happening so early in the offseason.
But, he continued, "basketball will have to take a back seat" for Morant once the NBA returns and a concrete punishment is in place.
"First and foremost, we're going to focus on him as a young man developing as a better person, as someone who is more responsible – particularly when it comes to guns," Silver added.
The NBA chief also addressed the reports of Morant's camp insisting the gun he flashed in May was a toy.
Silver suggested it doesn't matter whether or not the Grizzlies star brandished an actual gun if it looked like he used a real firearm in a reckless manner when he live-streamed his night out to the world.
