Ja Morant’s name is being brought up in trade rumors again, but this time there might be some actual momentum behind it. The Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly open to trade offers on the All-Star guard, per ESPN, a change in tune after initial reports surfaced in November of a possible divorce between the franchise and their prized player.
With a little less than a month to the trade deadline, teams could start to put together legitimate offers, as ESPN reports he will generate some interest on the market. However, it might not look much different than the market the Atlanta Hawks just had for Trae Young when they decided to trade him to the Washington Wizards earlier this week. The Hawks got CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in return for Young, certainly not the type of robust package you’d expect from trading a four-time All Star who is still just 27 years old.
The Grizzlies could face a similarly frosty market, as Morant presents some of the same flaws Young has. He’s an undersized guard who has his limitations on both sides of the floor, but unlike Young, Morant isn’t a reliable jump shooter. Morant’s also lost a step in athleticism due to injuries in the last couple of years. That athleticism used to be his biggest strength, as he was capable of zipping past guys in a flash for a jaw-dropping finish at the rim. But his efficiency around the rim has been declining and so too has his ability in actually getting there.
We’ll see what the market sets Morant’s value at, but the Grizzlies are prioritizing draft picks and young players in return, per ESPN’s report. It’s unclear exactly what type of draft capital the Grizzlies want in return, because given the Hawks got zero first-round picks for Young, it would be difficult to see Memphis getting one for Morant. But you never know, teams could get desperate. There’s not a list of teams with known interest in Morant right now, but canvassing the league, you can see a few teams that could fit into that desperate category. Namely the Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings.
The Bucks have been at the center of their own trade speculation as everyone is wondering what Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee actually is. He made a pretty firm statement this week saying he’ll never request a trade from the Bucks. With that in mind, perhaps the Bucks take another swing at a point guard in Morant with hopes that he could help reignite a spark in Milwaukee. The fit is questionable with Morant and Antetokounmpo, given Morant isn’t incredibly effective without the ball in his hands. The Bucks don’t have a ton of tradeoptions that are likely to entice the Grizzlies, but they are in “throw anything against the wall and see if it sticks” mode.
The Kings similarly have been desperate to make some change, though it’s unclear exactly what their end goal is. Morant would certainly sell tickets, but who are they giving up in this situation that the Grizzlies would want? DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine certainly don’t fit the description of “young players,” and unless they’re giving up someone like Keegan Murray — which seems like a non-starter for the Kings — I’m not sure who the Grizzlies would want. Maybe it’s Domantas Sabonis that gets traded, or perhaps the Kings deal Keon Ellis, a young guard who has been underutilized in Sacramento’s rotation. Whatever the package looks like, Sacramento operates with a level of delusion that could certainly talk itself into trading for Morant thinking he could turn this franchise around.
But this is all assuming that the Grizzlies are actually serious in parting ways with Morant. The Grizzlies are still considering multiple paths forward, one of which is refocusing their efforts in building around Jaren Jackson Jr. and the group of young emerging players they have.
