Now we know. Ja Morant has been suspended 25 games. That’s fine. What comes next?

That is the real question, isn’t it? Where do Morant and the Grizzlies go from here?

Will Morant take advantage of his time away from basketball to make real changes in the way he lives his life?

NBPA: Ja Morant suspension ‘excessive and inappropriate’

Will he take this 25-game suspension more seriously than the previous eight-game suspension?

Will he finally understand the stakes?

And what of Morant’s relationship with the Grizzlies franchise? How will that unfold from here?

Will Morant feel supported and appreciated? Or will he feel alienated by the tougher love?

So Friday might have seemed like the end of a long wait for Morant and for Memphis fans. But it was the start of a process that could shape the franchise for years to come.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver finally revealed Morant’s punishment, a full 35 days after Morant flashed a gun (again!) on Instagram Live.

Nike issues statement following Ja Morant suspension

“Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting,” Silver said, in a statement. “The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.”

Which is all fine, by the way.

Most Memphis fans don’t even object.

While a 25-game suspension for flashing a gun might seem excessive — indeed, the Players Association released a statement calling it “excessive and inappropriate” — Morant had engaged in a pattern of reckless behavior that demanded serious consequences.

Along with the suspension, Morant will be required to “formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior.”

While the league didn’t go into much detail, it’s clear that Morant is going to have to do more than spend a couple of days at a therapy retreat this time.

Grizzlies Insider: Who has Memphis worked out ahead of the NBA Draft?

That’s good!

Indeed, it really doesn’t matter if the suspension had been 15, 17, 25 or 30 games. What matters is that Morant decides — in his own heart — that it is time to change.

Morant said all the right words in a statement Friday. Or, rather, his public relations team wrote all the right words.

“I’ve had time to reflect and I realize how much hurt I’ve caused,” the statement said. “I want to apologize to the NBA, the Grizzlies, my teammates and the city of Memphis.”

The statement went on from there.

Of course, Morant himself has said that words no longer matter. It’s his actions that count.

And despite all the drama of the last few months — all the hand-wringing about what Morant is throwing away — it is easy to imagine Morant emerging even better after all this.

NBA suspends Grizzlies star Ja Morant for 25 games

All he has to do is stop doing dumb stuff. Stay off of Instagram Live. Put down the guns. And play basketball the way few other humans can.

There is nothing permanent about the damage Morant has done. There is nothing that one drama-free season can’t fix.

People love watching Morant play basketball. They love the way he soars and the way he smiles. There’s a reason that Nike issued a statement Friday standing by Morant. By this time next year, the guy may be a thoroughly reconstituted NBA superstar.

But that brings us to the other tricky part of this: the relationship between Morant and the Grizzlies.

While Morant issued another long apology Friday, the Grizzlies’ statement was terse.

“We respect the League’s decision to suspend Ja Morant following this latest episode,” it said. “Our standards as a league and team are clear, and we expect that all team personnel will adhere to them.”

There was nothing in the statement about working with Morant, or standing by Morant, or looking forward to Morant’s eventual return. Morant was lumped into the category of “all team personnel.”

It’s understandable, why the Grizzlies would strike this tone. But there is peril in it, too.

What if Morant doesn’t feel supported by the Grizzlies? What if he mistakes their new emphasis on accountability for a lack of respect?

You can’t turn on ESPN these days without hearing Kendrick Perkins explaining all the reasons why it’s time to get Morant out of Memphis. Some of that may just be Perkins, bloviating. But what if the Morant family start listening to voices like Perkins’? It’s easier to blame your surroundings for your troubles than to take personal responsibility. The idea that the city of Memphis is to blame for Morant’s struggles has always been nonsense. But it ceases to be nonsense the moment the Morant family starts to wonder if it’s true. 

So, yeah, this will be a tricky time. For Morant and for the Grizzlies, both. Will Morant take the steps he has to take to change his life? Will the Grizzlies be able to both hold Morant accountable and persuade him it is for his own good?

Friday may have seemed like the end of a long wait for Memphis fans. But the real suspense starts now.