Grizzlies' Morant to return against Rockets

LOS ANGELES – Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins confirmed that Ja Morant will make his NBA return from suspension against the Houston Rockets later on Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time).

Jenkins told reporters in pre-game remarks that Morant — who has not played since posting video of himself waving a gun in a strip club on March 4 — would start on the bench.

"That might be the case for a couple of games, this was a collaborative effort," Jenkins said of the decision to put Morant on the bench.

"We collectively thought this was the best strategy at least for the first one or two games, then we'll re-evaluate from there.

Jenkins said he expected Morant's on-court minutes against Houston to be "somewhere in the low 20s."

"We'll see how the game goes. He hasn't had a lot of five-on-five exposure, so we want to be smart for the first week or two that with the layoff we're not doing anything to jeopardize his health," Jenkins said.

Morant was hit with an eight-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the NBA after footage of the strip club incident emerged.  

The 23-year-old -- regarded as one of the brightest young talents in the NBA -- later said he had begun therapy to help manage stress.

Morant told reporters on Tuesday his treatment was an "ongoing process."

"I've made mistakes in the past that cause a lot of negative attention -- not only to me, but my family as well, my team, the organization," Morant said.

"I'm completely sorry for that... My job now is to be more responsible, more smarter, and don't cause any of that no more."