For the first time all season, the Memphis Grizzlies are beginning to seriously entertain the idea of trading All-Star point guard Ja Morant before the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, as first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.
The Grizzlies, who are currently 16-21 entering Friday night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, have dealt with plenty of drama surrounding Morant through the years.
Aside from multiple suspensions for flashing a firearm in live videos on social media, Morant's availability due to injuries has been a major concern in Memphis. Not to mention, tensions between Morant and first-year head coach Tuomas Iisalo became a key talking point around the league early in the 2025-26 season.
Morant and Memphis' head coach have not seen eye-to-eye throughout the season, especially during the first few weeks when Iisalo consistently made substitutions earlier in games than many players, including Morant, had hoped.
Immediately following a 117-112 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 31, Morant got into it with Iisalo and the coaching staff in the locker room, calling out Iisalo for his rapid substitutions being the main culprit behind the team's lack of enthusiasm. Voices were raised during this postgame locker room session, and Iisalo singled Morant out for his lack of effort and leadership.
After being suspended one game for this incident with the coaches, Morant told reporters that he didn't have the same joy he once did on the court and he wouldn't give a clear answer as to why that was. The relationship between Morant and Iisalo has since been a major question mark in Memphis, despite them being able to smooth things over since the start of the season.
Morant is expected to generate interest around the league over the next three weeks, leading up to the NBA trade deadline, with the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Miami Heat being teams that have previously expressed interest in the Grizzlies' star guard, league sources told ClutchPoints.
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Another team worth keeping an eye on to potentially make an all-in move this season and would possibly consider trading for Morant is the Los Angeles Clippers. However, LA lacks the draft assets and young talent Memphis would prioritize in a package to trade Morant.
While the Grizzlies are beginning to seriously discuss the idea of trading the former 2019 second-overall pick and 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year, star big man Jaren Jackson Jr. remains off the table in Memphis. He remains the pillar of the Grizzlies' future, and the team holds no interest in discussing any trade scenarios involving Jackson with rival teams.
The Grizzlies will evaluate all options presented to them between now and the Feb. 5 trade deadline involving Morant. This would be yet another monumental roster change in Memphis, as executive Zach Kleiman and this front office traded key starter Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic in June for four unprotected first-round picks, a future first-round pick swap, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
News of the Grizzlies being open to the idea of moving on from Morant comes just days after the Atlanta Hawks traded four-time All-Star guard Trae Young to the Washington Wizards in a move many around the league are labeling as a “salary dump.” The Hawks traded Young and the remaining $95 million on his contract to the Wizards for CJ McCollum, who will be a free agent in the summer, and Corey Kispert.
Now it appears to be the Grizzlies' turn to become the center of trade talks around the league, as Morant is the latest star-level talent to hit the trade market.
In 18 games this season, Morant has averaged 19.0 points, 7.6 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 40.1 percent from the floor.