The Grizzlies are dealing with a limited market as they consider their options in a potential Ja Morant trade, writes Zach Harper of The Athletic. Harper speculates that the offers Memphis receives might be similar to the meager return Atlanta got for Trae Young, even though Morant is only 26 and is a two-time All-Star.
Harper starts by pointing out that 15 teams are already set at point guard, which eliminates half the league. Among the rest, Boston, Minnesota, Milwaukee and Orlando don’t have enough trade assets or financial flexibility to be realistic contenders for Morant, and Harper doesn’t believe Atlanta will be in the market for another point guard after parting with Young. Toronto is probably out because the Grizzlies wouldn’t want Immanuel Quickley‘s long-term contract, and Sacramento likely wouldn’t part with the draft assets necessary to get Memphis’ interest.
Harper whittles his list down to the Nets, Bulls, Heat and Mavericks as the most likely contenders for Morant, but none of them appear to be a perfect fit. Chicago needs to find a star, but Josh Giddey is already entrenched as the team’s lead ball-handler. Dallas could use a younger point guard than Kyrie Irving if the plan is to rebuild around Cooper Flagg, but Morant’s injury history might make the Mavs reluctant to pull the trigger on a deal. Brooklyn is in the early stages of rebuilding, and Morant might not be happy to wind up there.
Harper suggests that Morant’s best option is to finish the season strong and rebuild his trade value for a potential deal this summer. However, he speculates that the Grizzlies may already have a deal in hand that they can live with and they’re just seeing if they can do better before the deadline arrives.
There’s more from Memphis:
- The Morant trade rumors are starting to raise questions about whether Jaren Jackson Jr. is on board with a complete rebuilding project, Tim MacMahon states on the latest edition of The Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to Real GM). Memphis is hanging on to the final play-in spot at 17-22 after sending Desmond Bane to Orlando last summer. “Their actions are telling you that they’re determined to rebuild the Grizzlies, I would say, around Jaren Jackson Jr.,” Bontemps said. “There’s a lot of discussion around the league wondering if that is mutual, I would say.”
- Christian Koloko‘s second 10-day contract has expired, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) so the Grizzlies would need to sign him to a standard deal to keep him for the rest of the season. Koloko appeared in 11 games over that span, making two starts and averaging 2.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per night.
- Rookie Cedric Coward is already emerging as a reliable clutch-time option, observes Chris Dodson of ClutchPoints. “(Coward) is a first-year player coming out of college, but is picking his spots,” coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “Overall, I would talk about our very good offense for stretches. He was a part of those, making quick decisions off the catch. Ball movement was great; he was finding open players. Those are the things we’ve got to build on and also look to use in crunch time.”
About eliminating Boston, Minnesota, Milwaukee and Orlando in the second step: wouldn’t have excluded Milwaukee yet there…
How does Boston need a PG when they have Derrick White and Payton Prichard?
Pritchard has been struggling a bit this season but I’d still rather have his production at his salary rather than Morant’s production at his salary.
The Jazz should be looking at Morant. Especially if they can do a three way with Markkannen.
Seems they will move Ja. Raptors can offer a good package imo. Grizz need to hold out for best deal for them. Can’t give him away.
Markkaneen is a better player than Morant so why would they even think that type of trade?
They need a real PG. it will do wonders for tgeir young team. Markkannen has been on trade block all year. I’ve read a lot about them wanting to move him. Jazz are rebuilding. A PG helps more in that process imo.
Utah asked for 3 1st round picks for him so which team has 3 1st round picks and trade Morant with all that for him?
Well thats a different issue lol. You know Danny overprices all his players. Never going to get that. His contract is insane. I said if, if they can do a three way. Jazz still need a PG. They have that #1 pick. A PG is best asset to have when rebuilding a team. He gets the ball to everyone.
Here we go again. They already have Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier, both of whom they are trying to develop for that role. George is considered a favorite for MIP. Why would they put someone making that kind of money, who has to dominate the ball just to be effective, in front of them? Morant is less efficient and more turnover prone than either player. He does not offer anything that Collier or George do not already provide, and they do it at a much cheaper cost. And before you say it, Collier is a real point guard. He has spent his entire basketball career playing the position.
Markkanen is having the best season of his career. If the Jazz trade him, it won’t be to take on a salary dump, and that is a big if to begin with. It’s rare that an All Star level talent wants to play in Utah and he is still young enough to be very good once they are ready to compete again, which could be as soon as next season once they get their lottery pick in this season’s draft.
utah is also tanking this year for a high draft pick so they are more determined to get another young player. keyonte George Is a very good PG so no way Morant takes his spot.
That’s probably right.
George is nice starting to show. And Collier has potential. Yet none do what Ja does. Morant is already a top PG in the NBA. Plus he brings the star quality. Jazz can wait and see for their players. Morant is doing what they hope they will do. George is looking good. 37 games is not definitive of a player in my eyes. He is still developing. Morant has been all star twice already. So they are not in same sentence yet. Jazz are 13-25 heading for another lottery. So I doubt they want Morant cause he would win games.
Your describing what Ja Morant was three seasons ago. Unless he’s low key trying to Jimmy Butler his way out of Memphis he’s just not that guy anymore.
No you are again I don’t see failure till they actually fail. At 26 I agree. He can still be better.
In my world. We call that hating. To say a guy is done at 26. See how different we are.
I don’t hate Morant. Whether it be injuries or mental he’s just not the guy he use to be. Not saying he can’t get back to what he was, it took Chauncey Billups 9 seasons to get there.
Zion came out of the same draft class, is younger, has played more games the last three seasons and is more productive when he’s on the court and you gave up on him years ago. Luka’s the same age and is a perennial fringe MVP candidate and you truly hate the guy.
I gave on him at the draft. Not the same. You are using his behavior as a reason to downgrade his game. Yet he’s a 2X all star at 26 yrs old. Now you just want to flame. Ja has had real injuries. Zion has been out if shape his whole career. Doesn’t care about playing to me. They are nothing alike on court. . Bot like strip clubs. I
I think Utah would make sense, but they would have to weigh if they want to move now or possibly in the offseason. They’d probably prefer a better pick in the upcoming draft, but if they waited they wouldn’t be able to include Nurkic (or Giang for salary matching). As you mentioned I think George and Collier are good and starting to scratch the surface at what they can become, but neither have what Ja has right now. I, on the other hand, wouldn’t try to turnaround and trade Lauri. I’d keep those two, Bailey, Flip, Kessler, and whatever other young players they can keep out of the Ja trade and see what comes of it.
I’m predicting Miami or Brooklyn are the destination. Hard to predict what the return is or if there will be other teams involved. Warriors get Norm Powell and Memphis takes Kuminga?
Rozier, Fontecchio and Pella Larson for Morant. No draft picks. That’s my guess.
I mean if that is all, then MEM would keep Ja.
Rozier possibly done forever, too old for MEM, in the last year of his contract, and he was playing some of the worst ball of his career last year. Also, MEM isn’t a team that tries to free up money for FAs because they don’t really sign any high dollar FAs, so the expiring contract wouldn’t be much of an incentive.
Fontecchio has really only had one decent season imo, expiring contract , and is 30. So I don’t see any positives there either.
I’ve liked Larson since Arizona, but can’t see him as the only piece to acquire Ja.
Not saying Ja will get a huge return, but would have to be more than this or they’d just hang onto him. Think MEM can get a good older player/s for him, a young guy with more potential than Larson, or picks of some sort. Only way it would get close to this low of a return, is if he comes out and says he will only play for one team in particular. But even in that case I think they’d get a bit more than this.
I TOTALLY agree w you peanut gallery
The worm has finally turned in front offices (probably 5~10) years too late but we are here now
Crb~ It just be about cap space and moving on – Sure he could rebound a little value but never enough IMO to justify not offloading him today. Id take Peanuts deal today
** Mem will probably get a first in a Ja deal soon but like the Bane trade w KCP attached that first will probably be more about taking a KCP-esque longer term bad money contract than it will be about Ja’s value
I know the Mem-Orl trade was multiples but 1 of those picks Imo was for taking Kcp
I get it is about matching salaries, but there is no way in hell if I am MEM that I take Rozier, Fontecchio, Larson, and NO PICKS for Morant (which is what peanut mentioned).
Like I said, MEM doesn’t value cap space as much as big market teams with the expiring contract players that Peanut mentioned, because MEM doesn’t sign high dollar FAs. Plus, they’ve locked up their only two guys that have imminent extensions in JJJ and Aldama. So they don’t need it for any offseason extensions either. Lastly, I don’t think Memphis is just trying to make a salary dump trade and move on. If that were the case, they’d most likely be shopping JJJ for the highest offer…then doing the Ja salary dump to kickstart a rebuild. If they are trying to be competitive then they’d try to get the best/most valuable asset possible and not just doing whatever they can get to move Morant. If they’re just trying to salary dump Ja imo it is because they do not intend to be good for the foreseeable future (3 years plus), and if that’s the case then you cash in on JJJ because he won’t have the same value when you’re expecting to be relevant again.
Crb- Very well may all be true but are you weighting the fact that Ja just might not be as good anymore?
There’s a lot that can still be done with cap space this summer. As a team that just collected assets shipping out Bane acquiring more this summer with the space certainly has to be in range.
We are both speculating and you may be right, ultimately it probably just depends on where they think Ja’s game is going.
IDK if he’s in just a funk this year but when Ive seen them this year Ja has looked timid, uninterested and hardly noticeable as any kind of gamechanger. Coupled with the off-court issues I just don’t know if he’s worth the trouble? I see your points on giving it another 12 months tho and reassessing, thats certainly a viable approach
I like him in Miami for the team. But I would be worried of the city lol.
Odds are we need to see where Kuminga goes before a Morant trade materializes.
A swap of Kyrie Irving for Ja Morant is something that could make sense. Same contract duration, only 3 million apart and question marks on health and attitude.
But only if Dallas does not need to add a first round pick.
I really dont feel Morant is worth a first round pick… Maybe a few seconds.
Dallas is hard capped and over the first apron by 13,5 million though, so cannot take back more salary than sending out.
They would need to add two minimum contracts for example (Exum and
Williams) and could take Landale back. Or any other construction where they send out 3 million more than they receive…
Hey I like that ……. Something to think about.
No AD makes it harder. Mavs looking to Tank now.
kyrie isnt accepting a trade to a rebuilding memphis
Credit to your Spotrac prowess Wannes (always) its a rare gift around here . Can tell you have it starred in your favorites as a fellow Spo tracker
* I’m keeping KI tho if I’m Dallas here
I read rumors that if Morant gets moved. Grizz could go full rebuild and move Jackson. Now that would be major. I think there is a big market for him. I move Towns for him.
Would have to be a multi team trade…
Memphis will get far better offers for JJJr…
Yes I agree. I just can’t believe Grizz would get here man. TD is going to be real interesting this yr
I think if Morant gets traded this year it will be to a random unforseen spot in a 4 or 5 team trade…
The new cap rules have made things harder to pull off, and therefore harder to predict…
None of the options make sense for either team… So it is going to get convoluted or it is going into the off season…