Ja Morant
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Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies is reportedly available for trade.
One of the biggest names in the trade rumor mill ahead of the February 5 deadline is Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies. Morant hasn’t played in the last five games due to a right calf injury, but an anonymous NBA executive dropped a harsh reality check on the two-time All-Star.
On the latest episode of The Hoop Collective, the ESPN trio of Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon discussed the trade market for Morant. MacMahon reported that the Grizzlies are looking for multiple picks and young players for their superstar guard.
However, MacMahon cited an East exec who told him how Morant is perceived by front offices around the league, which isn’t good news for Memphis.
“He’s not attacking the rim nearly like he used to be. … He’s a bad jump shooter who’s shooting more jump shots than ever. And I’ll just quote an East executive from then: ‘The combination of pain in the a**, injury-prone, not that good anymore, and big contract is a bad one,'” MacMahon said, via HoopsHype.
MacMahon added that Morant’s situation is similar to Trae Young, who was traded to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert late last week. The uncertainty with Morant is whether there’s a team interested in giving up what the Grizzlies want or not.
Morant Linked to Multiple Teams
Despite Tim MacMahon’s insight on how some executives thought of Ja Morant, there are still interested teams in the former No. 2 pick.
Former ESPN analyst Zack Lowe linked Morant to the Miami Heat. He suggested a possible combination of Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier as a starting point.
Marc Stein of The Stein Line named the Toronto Raptors as potential suitors for Morant. Stein linked the potential deal to what the Raptors did last season when they acquired Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Another team to watch out for in the Morant sweepstakes is the Milwaukee Bucks, as per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Bucks are looking to double down on their intentions of doing their best to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo with a better roster.
John Hollinger of The Athletic also mentioned the Sacramento Kings and Brooklyn Nets as potential destinations. However, he reported that the Kings prefer a long-term rebuild rather than throwing away assets for Morant, but he called the Nets a “dark horse.”
Nets Could Trade For Morant
John Hollinger reported that the Brooklyn Nets are likely trading Michael Porter Jr. at the deadline. Porter’s contract is a huge trade chip next season because it will be an expiring one.
“Dealing Porter for Morant and picks would allow the Nets to have their cake and eat it, too. They could sell high on Porter, buy low on Morant, and fill their most glaring roster weakness ahead of the 2026-27 season,” Hollinger wrote.
However, Hollinger doesn’t see the Memphis Grizzlies being interested in MPJ. He thought that if a Morant trade happens, Porter could get rerouted to a third team, like the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors or Miami Heat.