Ja Morant's days with the Memphis Grizzlies seem numbered.
Last week, it was revealed that the Grizzlies are finally taking calls on the veteran guard for the first time in his career. Several teams have been linked to the multi-time All-Star. The Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green acknowledged a few of them, but threw out his own dark horse pick: the New York Knicks.
"The Sacramento Kings-I could see that," Green said on ‘The Draymond Green Show.'
"The Miami Heat? Absolutely. The Toronto Raptors? Possibly. A dark horse I'd throw out is the New York Knicks. I haven't seen any reports linking them, but imagine Ja Morant at Madison Square Garden. That's box office."
Are the Knicks in the Mix?
For the time being, the Knicks' biggest link comes from Green, who admits that he's simply predicting they could get involved in the sweepstakes as a dark horse candidate.
Fit-wise, Morant would be a question mark in New York. With Jalen Brunson running the back court as the point guard, Morant is unlikely to have the MVP-caliber guard shift over so he can resume his same role from Memphis.
The Knicks have made some changes alongside Brunson in the starting five this year, but when healthy, the position has belonged to Josh Hart since late November.
Unless Morant is searching for a backup role, the Knicks are unlikely to acquire a star-caliber player who isn't bringing value to the front court. At this point, the Knicks' interest in Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo is well known, but that seems out of the question once again.
With the NBA trade deadline coming up in a month, the Knicks don't seem to be aggressive in the trade market at this time.
Ja Morant's Known Suitors
Green hit on two frequent names in the Miami Heat and the Sacramento Kings.
The former is certainly finding its way into the favorite circle. The Heat are always on the hunt for a big name, and Morant is rumored to be interested in South Florida as his next playing destination.
Sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 21-19 record, the Heat have exceeded early expectations so far. They have talent. Erik Spoelstra is regarded as one of the top coaches in the league. The NBA has seen enough mediocre Miami seasons turn into miraculous playoff runs to make it difficult to count them all the way out.
A Miami-Morant pairing seems realistic. As far as the Knicks go, they just might remain in that hypothetical dark horse category.
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