Memphis Grizzlies Ja Morant Miami Heat
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The Heat are back in the Ja Morant conversation as Memphis signals a full rebuild ahead of the deadline.
The door has reopened for the Miami Heat and this time, it feels more real. When the Memphis Grizzlies traded All-Star big man Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz earlier this week, it wasn’t just a roster move. Around the league, executives viewed it as a signal. Memphis is no longer retooling. It’s tearing things down. That shift has immediate implications for Ja Morant and, by extension, Miami.
Morant was already loosely connected to the Heat earlier this season as internal tension and on-court inconsistency surfaced in Memphis. Now, with Jackson gone and draft capital piling up, league executives believe the Grizzlies are preparing for a full rebuild. Morant’s name is circulating again, and Miami has resurfaced as a potential landing spot.
Memphis Changes Course, and the Market Shifts
Speaking on SportsCenter, ESPN insider Shams Charania confirmed that Memphis is still actively exploring Morant deals ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.
“The Grizzlies’ conversations around Ja Morant and entertaining offers are continuing around the league,” Charania said. “There’s multiple teams with interest in Ja Morant.”
The most important update wasn’t about interest, it was about expectations. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, rival executives believe Memphis may use Morant’s salary to absorb bad contracts in exchange for draft capital.
“I talk to executives around the league, they think that this changes what [the Grizzlies] can expect back in a Ja Morant trade,” Windhorst said Tuesday on NBA Today. “Instead of trying to trade Ja for as much value as they can… there’s not as much value for Ja.”
That recalibration matters for Miami. The Heat rarely win bidding wars, but they consistently exploit inefficiency. When star value drops, timelines clash, or leverage shifts, Miami stays ready. That approach helped land Jimmy Butler and, to a lesser extent, Norman Powell. This is the type of market the Heat have historically waited for.
Why Miami Makes Sense Again
From a Heat perspective, the logic hasn’t changed. The context has. Miami has been linked to nearly every available star this cycle, including Giannis Antetokounmpo. League sources suggest those talks remain fluid and uncertain. If that pursuit stalls, Morant represents a younger and more accessible pivot, especially if Memphis prioritizes picks over players.
An NBA source told the Sun Sentinel on Tuesday that Miami could remain active on both fronts. Antetokounmpo and Morant discussions are not mutually exclusive. That flexibility fits the Heat’s long-standing approach: explore every angle, wait for leverage, strike late.
On the court, the appeal is obvious. A Morant-led attack flanked by Norman Powell and Bam Adebayo, with Erik Spoelstra orchestrating, would raise Miami’s offensive ceiling immediately. The Heat don’t need Morant to be perfect. They need him dynamic, downhill, and disruptive. Add the possibility of a Giannis pursuit, and Miami would be chasing two of the league’s most dangerous drivers of the basketball.
At 27-24 and seventh in the East, Miami isn’t broken. But it is searching for another gear.
A Bargain or Nothing at All
Not everyone believes a strong Morant market exists. NBA insider Jake Fischer reported during a Bleacher Report livestream that Miami’s interest comes with strict conditions.
“Miami Heat are interested in Ja Morant but only on what they would consider a bargain deal,” Fischer said, comparing it to the Atlanta Hawks sending Trae Young to Washington “for pennies on the dollar.”
That framing aligns with Memphis’ direction. After acquiring seven first-round picks in the deals for Jackson and Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies appear focused on volume rather than star-for-star returns. For Miami, that’s the opening.
The Heat control their own first-round picks this year and from 2029 through 2032. That gives them ample draft ammo. The bigger question is matching salary. Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, and Andrew Wiggins would likely be on the table to get a deal done.
If Miami still wants flexibility for a Giannis trade, Norman Powell could also enter the conversation. His value and pending unrestricted free agency make him a logical inclusion.
If the Grizzlies fully commit to the teardown they’ve quietly begun, Morant’s time in Memphis may be ending. And if it does, the Heat, patient, opportunistic, and already circling, are positioned to matter once again.