The Miami Heat could pursue Ja Morant by trading Tyler Herro and Simone Fontecchio, or by including Terry Rozier's expiring contract or Andrew Wiggins to help match salaries without sacrificing multiple rotation players.
The Miami Heat is believed to be among the teams interested in Memphis Grizzlies two-time All-Star guard Ja Morant ahead of the February 5 trade deadline.
Ja Morant
Ja Morant
Ja Morant
MIN: 28.34
PTS: 19 (52.79%)
REB: 3.22
As: 7.56
ST: 1
BL: 0.17
TO: 3.56
GM: 18
According to Evan Sidery of Forbes, the Heat's pursuit may depend on whether the NBA allows them to include Terry Rozier's contract in a potential trade.
Rozier's $26.6 million expiring deal would help match Morant's $39.4 million salary without forcing Miami to give up multiple rotation players.
Meanwhile, ESPN's Zach Kram outlined another hypothetical trade path for the Heat:
Heat receive:
Grizzlies receive:
Tyler Herro
Simone Fontecchio
Kram notes that the combined salaries of Herro and Fontecchio nearly match Morant's, and the two guards are comparable in value. Similar to Trae Young's recent trade to Washington, no draft picks would be involved.
Per the same article, Miami could also explore other trade options for Morant, including players with smaller salaries such as Andrew Wiggins or aforementioned Terry Rozier (if allowed).
Credit Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix
However, these alternatives are less financially clean, as the Heat are close to the luxury tax line, and adding Morant alongside Herro and Norman Powell could create salary-cap issues.
Earlier, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that multiple teams are pursuing Morant, and rival executives say the Grizzlies are prioritizing draft picks and young players in any deal.
This season, Morant has played 18 games, averaging 19.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 7.6 assists while shooting 40.1% from the field and just 20.8% from three.
The 26-year-old guard is earning $39.4 million and is under contract through 2027–28.
Morant has also clashed with first-year coach Tuomas Iisalo this season, resulting in a one-game suspension last November.
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