Stein’s Latest: Morant, Young, Knicks, Gafford, More

Ja Morant has become the name to watch in NBA trade circles following reports that the Grizzlies were open to listening to offers for their star point guard.

In his latest article for The Stein Line (subscriber link), Marc Stein notes that, due to their alleged interest in trade targets like Trae Young, Anthony Davis, and Domantas Sabonis, there is a belief around the league that the Raptors may be dealing with internal win-now pressure, which could lead to them making a play for Morant.

Stein also states that, despite rumors that the Kings would not be interested in making a move for the often-injured point guard, he has heard rumors that Sacramento’s interest could be piqued if the Grizzlies would consider a return built around DeMar DeRozan, Devin Carter, and draft assets.

Carter was the 13th pick in the 2024 draft but has struggled to carve out a role with the Kings, averaging just 8.4 minutes this season.

Morant has played 18 games this season and is averaging 19.0 points and 7.6 assists on .401/.208/.900 shooting splits.

We have more from Stein’s latest newsletter:

• One of the lingering questions following the Wizards‘ trade for Trae Young revolves around whether Washington would extend its newly acquired guard. Stein notes that the Hawks’ refusal to extend Young was one of the early impetuses that led to their ultimate separation, and writes that there is noise that the four-time All-Star will ultimately land a two-year extension. He adds that when it comes to the matter of how much Young plays this season, he expects Washington to point to Toronto’s mid-season deal for Brandon Ingram last year as precedent. Ingram didn’t suit up for the Raptors last season and then quickly signed a new deal once the offseason began.
• The Knicks have struggled to regain their footing after winning the NBA Cup, winning just one of their last six games. While it’s unlikely that they will part with any of their core players, Stein writes that Guerschon Yabusele and second-year wing Pacome Dadiet are both available as New York attempts to tinker around their margins. Yabusele, after a breakout return to the NBA with the Sixers last season, has struggled to find a rhythm or role in coach Mike Brown‘s system, leading to him being in and out of the rotation. Dadiet, the 25th pick in the 2024 Draft, has seemingly been overtaken in the rotation by players like Mohamed Diawara and Kevin McCullar Jr., playing just 44 minutes in 14 games.
• While the Hawks‘ interest in Davis is well-documented, Stein writes that they also have some level of interest in another Mavericks big man: Daniel Gafford. While Gafford offers less upside than Davis, such a deal would help the Hawks keep Zaccharie Risacher out of trade talks. Stein adds that the Pacers and Celtics are also interested in pursuing the 27-year-old center.
• Spencer Dinwiddie is now eligible to sign with an NBA team after parting ways with Bayern Munich, but Stein reports that he could need some time to deal with the personal matters that led to his leaving the EuroLeague club.
• The Mavericks are holding out on waiving Dante Exum to make room to convert Ryan Nembhard, which Stein says is due to the hope that they can use Exum’s $3.3MM salary in a trade instead. That desire is the reason that decisions on converting two-way players like Nembhard, Spencer Jones (Denver), Daniss Jenkins (Detroit), and Pat Spencer (Golden State) will likely hold off until after the trade deadline.