For anyone that’s been keeping up with the Memphis Grizzlies since at least the 2023-24 season, ESPN insider Shams Charania’s revelation that the franchise is entertaining trade offers for much maligned Ja Morant is far from a surprise. In fact, it’s part of the natural progression in a relationship that’s been fractured.
From the organization’s perspective, Morant is no longer just a star point guard who’s rough around the edges for cultural reasons. At this point, he’s proven that he’s too inconsistent to be the team’s on-court leader and too immature to be their culture-setter. Additionally, he’s injury-prone and in the midst of his worst pro season. From Morant’s standpoint, the trust between he and the team has eroded as the result of his constant suspensions. He feels alienated by multiple people within the organization, even his own teammates (h/t ESPN’s Michael C. Wright).
5 Realistic Trade Destinations For Grizzlies Star Ja Morant
With the Grizzlies reportedly willing to trade Morant, there are multiple teams that are considering being on the other side of that transaction. The Miami Heat have “had internal discussions” about adding Morant, according to The Stein Line insider Jake Fischer. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings have been keeping their eyes on him for months, based on a report from The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
Though they haven’t been publicly linked to Morant, there are two other potential suitors that make sense for him as well: the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets.
Let’s explore the viability of each of these options.
Miami Heat
The Heat haven’t been sure about the future of their point guard position for a long time.
Tyler Herro, the 2022 Sixth Man of the Year, isn’t actually a point guard. Terry Rozier, who’s battling against allegations of illegal betting, hasn’t lived up to expectations. Davion Mitchell is a dynamic two-way playmaker but doesn’t have the scoring instincts of many of his matchups. Though no quite as staunch a defender as Mitchell, the same can be said of Pelle Larsson. Kasparas Jakucionis, once projected to be a top-1o pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, hasn’t hit the ground running as expected.
For Miami, the rationale for trading for Morant could be as simple as acquiring a definitive franchise point guard. Notably, they have the defensive foundation around him that will compensate for his deficiencies at that end. However, the question is if he’ll take to Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra’s coaching style and “Heat Culture.” Furthermore, in trading for Morant, the Grizzlies will likely want more than Rozier’s expiring contract. A first-round pick or valued young player (such as Nikola Jovic or Jaime Jaquez Jr.) may have to be in the package as well.
Verdict: Trade Highly Possible, Fit Mostly Feasible
Minnesota Timberwolves
Usually, there’s a point in a player’s career at which their advanced age is attributing to a decline in performance. That’s where 38-year-old point guard Mike Conley, who’s been in the league since 2007, is right now. There’s no shame in being unable to defeat Father Time. Nonetheless, it’s a situation that must be addressed.
Interestingly, the Timberwolves seemed to have drafted Conley’s successor just two years ago. However, 2024 No. 8 pick Rob Dillingham has been glued to the bench in Minnesota. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Donte DiVincenzo is more of a complementary facilitator than floor general. Yet, he’s had to start at point guard due to Conley’s fall-off and Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch not buying what Dillingham is selling.
In trading for Morant, Minnesota would be expecting the solution to this problem. Furthermore, because of characteristics he has in common with franchise star Anthony Edwards, there’s even reason to believe that his persona wouldn’t be problematic. At the same time, the on-court fit isn’t necessarily promising because the Wolves will have three starters who are below-average 3-point shooters (Morant, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert). That is, unless they decide to trade Randle in their deal with the Grizzlies.
Verdict: Trade Legitimately Possible, Fit Conditionally Feasible
Sacramento Kings
Excuse my french, but the Kings are down bad right now. Despite having four players with multiple All-Star selections, they have the worst record in the Western Conference (8-30). The worst part of it all is that just two years ago, people thought that the crestfallen franchise was finally turning it around. Ever since then, it’s been all downhill. There’s a strong chance that adding Morant would only make it worse.
In terms of intangibles, Morant’s seemingly incorrigible behavior not only doesn’t align with Kings general manager Scott Perry’s principles, it won’t help an organization that lacks accountability from top to bottom. When considering his skillset, Morant’s pace and playmaking are strengths that may even remind them of De’Aaron Fox. Unfortunately for them, his unreliable defense and 3-ball are weaknesses that exacerbate their current problems. With the way he’s playing right now, he’d only be a incremental upgrade to Russell Westbrook and Dennis Schroder.
Looking from the Grizzlies side though, a potential trade makes more sense. They should be able to acquire some combination of Schroder, Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan in this deal. Schroder could play the part of the mature and experienced lead guard. Each of them could help Memphis’s offense, which has multiple players overextending themselves as scorers.
Verdict: Trade Legitimately Possible, Fit Questionably Feasible
Phoenix Suns
Of all the teams that haven’t been connected to Morant by national reporters, the Phoenix Suns are the most surprising.
Since trading away future Hall of Fame inductee Chris Paul in 2023, they’ve been in need of a bonafide franchise point guard. Entering the 2025-26 season, they were even expected to start Jalen Green –nominally a shooting guard –at the position. As the season has progressed, undrafted third-year pro Collin Gillespie has opened eyes with his play. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old is averaging under 14 points per game and shooting under 44 percent from the field. Suffice it to say, he’s a player that they can upgrade from.
Enter Morant, the fiery facilitator with a nose for the rim. A two-time All-Star who spent his first four seasons playing alongside Dillon Brooks, who has become the Suns’ best two-way player. In terms of positional fit and on-court chemistry, he’s a highly intriguing option for Phoenix. Obviously, there are risks with adding Morant, on and off the hardwood. However, the culture that Brooks and Suns head coach Jordan Ott are building could provide him with the infrastructure he needs to get his career back on track.
Verdict: Trade Legitimately Possible, Fit Legitimately Feasible
Brooklyn Nets
Ever since they gave up on the trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets have been trying to rebuild their roster. The issue with that is the Nets don’t seem to have a real timeline on when they’d like to get back in contention. Instead, as they continue to deconstruct their roster, they’ve been particularly willing to trade away the types of talents that would allow them to do just that.
To be fair, being in NBA purgatory isn’t for the faint of heart. Middling teams can be the most frustrating because there’s actually hope, if not outright belief, that they can be a great team. However, for one reason or another, they’re falling short of that goal. Having gone 283-306 since 2018-19 with only one season winning more than 45 games in that time, the Nets are well aware of that.
With that being said, Morant’s availability could become a key checkpoint in the process. To that point, the difference between Morant’s upside and cost could lead to a great return on investment for Brooklyn. If they can trade for him without having to give up All-Star-caliber forward Michael Porter Jr. or Defensive Player of the Year-caliber center Nic Claxton, they’d be well on their way to establishing a core than compete with the top teams.
Verdict: Trade Potentially Possible, Fit Potentially Feasible
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