Ja Morant’s attitude is becoming a problem for the Memphis Grizzlies once again, and this time there’s more trade speculation around the star point guard than ever before. The Grizzlies suspended Morant for one game last week after he reportedly beefed with coaches following a listless performance in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Morant’s recent media sessions have been even less unenthusiastic, and he’s on the record saying he has no joy playing basketball in Memphis right now.
Grizzlies lead executive Zach Kleiman emphatically denied any interest in trading Morant following last year’s trade deadline, but the Grizzlies have essentially collapsed since he gave that quote. It’s hard to imagine there can be a sustainable relationship between the player and team going forward without a radical transformation. While the Grizzlies pile up losses this season amid a myriad of injuries, Morant’s production and efficiency have both suffered.
This feels like a classic case of a player who needs a chance of scenery. Here’s seven teams that should be interested if the Grizzlies are willing to play ball.
7. Houston Rockets
I don’t think the Rockets are a great fit for Morant, but their dire need for a skilled ball handler and potentially short timeline with this version of Kevin Durant means they at least deserve a mention. The Rockets have put up fantastic offensive efficiency numbers so far without a dependable point guard on the roster, but the schedule has been soft, and it’s hard to imagine them surviving the Western Conference gauntlet without one. Houston has plenty of future draft picks to spare, and it’s possible the price on Morant gets low enough that he’s worth the risk. Ime Udoka’s culture of accountability could be just what Morant needs, and on Houston he would be one of the guys instead of The Guy. I’m still not really buying it.
The Rockets are a very low-volume three-point shooting team — No. 29 in three-point rate entering Friday — and Morant is a very low-volume three-point shooting point guard. While his ball handling against pressure would be welcome, Morant is also not a good defender and would compromise what’s shaping up to be an elite unit. I’m intrigued by how Morant could improve Houston’s pace as the Rockets currently sit with the third-slowest offense in basketball, but it feels like the team doesn’t need to swing this big to fix their ball handling issues.
6. Phoenix Suns
The elephant in the room with any potential Suns deal is that they have already traded all of their future first-round picks through 2032. There’s not much on Phoenix’s roster that would interest Memphis outside of Khaman Maluach, and the Suns likely wouldn’t be willing to include him in a deal. It still feels like the Suns are worth including on this list just because a) they’ve always been hyper-aggressive in hunting star talent under Mat Ishbia, b) they could really use an upside swing with youth, c) this roster still needs a point guard unless they want to go full-time Point Book. If Memphis really gets desperate to move off Morant, maybe there’s a small chance the Suns can land him in a multi-team deal. I could see Phoenix being interested, but this landing spot still feels highly unlikely.
5. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors have been solid so far despite getting absolutely nothing from their highly-paid starting point guard. Immanuel Quickley is struggling so far in a prove-it year coming off an injury-shortened season, and it’s easy to imagine Toronto searching for creative solutions if he fails to get it going soon. The Raptors’ offense never gets to the rim — No. 29 in rim frequency at time of publish — and they take a ton of mid-range shots, which makes sense for a team led by Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes. Morant would add rim pressure, and he’d give this roster a level of playmaking it doesn’t currently have. Toronto ideally needs some pull-up three-point shooting out of its point guard that Morant doesn’t provide, and despite his passing excellence, I worry he’d clash with Ingram and Barnes for shot attempts without dependable spacing around him. I don’t love the fit here, but there’s an opportunity in the East this year, and the Raptors have a hole at lead guard. A deal built around R.J. Barrett and Grady Dick is at least something to think about.
4. Miami Heat
The Heat look pretty good to start the season, and they still don’t have Tyler Herro in the lineup yet as he recovers from an ankle/foot injury. Miami’s culture of discipline could be the best possible fit for Morant if he’s willing to buy-in. Erik Spoelstra remains an S-tier head coach, and he would likely figure out a way to get the best out of the mercurial point guard. Right now, Miami’s offense is playing at by far the fastest pace in the league, and Morant is an easy fit in that style. The catch is that the Heat don’t set any ball screens this year, preferring to attack in isolation, and it’s possible Morant that wouldn’t love that. The Heat have a history of going star-hunting, and Morant figures to pique their interest as the type of the type of younger star who rarely becomes available. If the Grizzlies are intrigued by Kel’el Ware or Kasparas Jakucionis, there could be a pathway to a deal here. I think Miami is the best possible landing spot for Morant if he’s traded, but it would require a level of buy-in he hasn’t been giving in Memphis. I’m just not sure the Heat can out-bid other interested teams.
3. Washington Wizards
The Wizards are poised to have a ton of cap space next offseason, and they’re essentially doing an “ethical tank” this year by allowing a super young roster to test the limits of their skill sets as losses pile up. Washington wants Darryn Peterson or Cameron Boozer or A.J. Dybantsa, but if they fall out of a top-3 of the lottery, trading for Morant in the summer makes a lot of sense. Washington does not have a high level playmaker on the roster to set up the likes of Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George, and Morant could provide that. With a less intriguing 2027 draft looming, the Wizards can’t play the lottery game forever, and Morant would offer them a potential franchise star who still fits the timeline of their young pieces with a skill set to help them develop.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves
Would the Grizzlies have any interest in Rob Dillingham? It sure seems like the Wolves don’t. After trading a premium future draft pick to move up into the top-10 of the 2024 draft to select Dillingham, Minnesota has rarely played him this year, instead opting to go with an older version of him without as much upside in Bones Hyland. The Wolves obviously has a big issue at point guard going forward with Mike Conley aging out of relevance. A backcourt of Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo doesn’t have quite enough playmaking, and it’s clear the Wolves didn’t want to fully invest in a Point Ant look judging by the original Dillingham deal. It’s been hard to get a feel for Minnesota so far in part because what was supposed to be an elite defense has been struggling horribly so far. The defense should return to form soon, and if that happens the Wolves are theoretically in the middle of their championship window, which makes a risky bet on Morant potentially intriguing. Morant and Edwards would be a show-stopping backcourt, while I have some questions about how functional it would be, I’d be extremely invested in seeing how it plays out. This is probably the most fun potential landing spot for Morant, and it seems somewhat plausible.
1. Sacramento Kings
The Kings need youth, the Kings need an upside swing, and the Kings still need a long-term solution at point guard. Sacramento already tried to acquire Jonathan Kuminga from the Warriors this offseason, and Morant feels like a similarly distressed asset that could interest the team. The Beam Team was only two years ago, but it feels like a decade ago as most of that roster has broken apart and been replaced by Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Russell Westbrook. New lead executive Scott Perry is going to put his stamp on this team eventually, and trying to land Morant is certainly one way to do it. I do not think Sacramento is a great fit from Morant’s perspective, because Sacramento isn’t a great fit for anyone historically-speaking, but they could build their schemes around his strengths and potentially deploy his rim pressure next to a great dribble-handoff operator in Domantas Sabonis and an elite shooter in Zach LaVine. Start with Malik Monk for a potential deal and add pieces from there. The Kings need to inject some excitement, and swinging for Morant would certainly qualify.
