Will NBA suspend Ja Morant for apparent gun in video? What we can learn from other cases

With Ja Morant taking time away from the Memphis Grizzlies after he posted a video on Instagram Live apparently holding a gun, the next question is what discipline could he face from the NBA?

On Saturday, the Grizzlies said Morant would miss at least the next two games and it wasn't called a suspension. Coach Taylor Jenkins added Sunday there's no definitive timetable for Morant's return, which implies he won't be back immediately after Tuesday's game at the Los Angeles Lakers (9 p.m., TNT).

Both the NBA and police in Glendale, Colorado, are investigating Morant's conduct. While Colorado is an open-carry state, a police spokesperson said the investigation concerns whether Morant committed a crime with the prohibited use of a weapon, which includes possession of a firearm while intoxicated.

According to the Colorado Legal Defense Group, first-time offenders of the statute typically are charged with a misdemeanor and can be fined up to $1,000.

There are also questions about whether Morant brought the weapon on the Grizzlies' team plane. Per the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, players are banned from possessing firearms or similar deadly weapons when present at a team or NBA facility or traveling on NBA-related business, such as a road trip.

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At the same time, there's no mandatory minimum punishment in the CBA's language if a player violates those rules because discipline is subject to the commissioner's discretion.

There's speculation that Morant could face a 50-game suspension because that's what Gilbert Arenas served in 2010 for his well-publicized involvement with guns in the Washington Wizards locker room. However, that 50-game suspension is not automatic and any punishment for Morant will be determined by league commissioner Adam Silver based on the findings of the investigation.

Also, there are key differences between what happened to Arenas and Morant. First, Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton brought their guns into the locker room in December 2009 while Morant allegedly brandished a gun at a nightclub.

Second, Arenas and Crittenton also drew the guns on each other, a clear safety risk to not just them but teammates. Both were suspended by the NBA on Jan. 27 for the rest of the season, which totaled 38 games. Arenas' total suspension was 50 games because he was already indefinitely suspended on Jan. 6 as the league continued its investigation.

Other NBA players faced less discipline before and after the Arenas-Crittenton dispute. In July 2007, Stephen Jackson received a seven-game suspension after pleading guilty to firing a gun outside an Indiana strip club in October 2006. Sebastian Telfair earned a three-game suspension at the start of the 2008-09 season after pleading guilty to criminal possession of a weapon.

Delonte West was suspended 10 games in 2010 after he pled guilty to weapons charges in Maryland following authorities saying he had three firearms and a knife while speeding on a motorcycle. In August 2014, Raymond Felton received a four-game suspension after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon.

There's no telling what happens to Morant until both the NBA and police in Colorado finish their investigations. It's a secondary concern during his time away but it also lingers over his potential return.

The Grizzlies and Nike said they'll support Morant during his hiatus. Nike also still plans to promote the global release of his first signature shoe, which will be in April.

Yet for now, the hope that Morant addresses his behavior is also mixed with wondering when the other shoe will drop with any potential discipline.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Will NBA suspend Ja Morant for apparent gun in video? What we know