Grizzlies Open To Trading Ja Morant
The Grizzlies are entertaining trade offers for Ja Morant and will consider moving the star point guard prior to the February 5 trade deadline, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Charania, multiple teams have interest in Morant and the Grizzlies are weighing possible paths forward, including either keeping the two-time All-Star or trading him in order to build around Jaren Jackson Jr. and their young core. If Memphis does make a deal involving Morant, the goal would be to acquire young players and draft picks in return, Charania adds.
Morant, 26, was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2020 and Most Improved Player in 2022 while making All-Star teams in both ’22 and ’23. However, his ascent to superstardom was derailed by injuries and by his off-court behavior — he was suspended twice by the NBA for brandishing a firearm in videos on social media, and missed most of the 2023/24 season due to a torn labrum in his shoulder.
Health issues have continued to plague Morant, who is currently sidelined due to a calf contusion, since the start of the ’24/25 season. He has appeared in 68 of 119 total games during that time and hasn’t looked as explosive as he once did.
In the past season-and-a-half, the former No. 2 overall pick has still posted solid numbers, including 22.1 points and 7.4 assists per contest, but those averages are well below his previous highs. He has also shot just 44.1% from the floor and 28.7% on three-pointers since the start of last season.
Trade speculation kicked into high gear during the fall after a disagreement between Morant and Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo about substitution patterns escalated into a locker room confrontation and earned the point guard a team-imposed one-game suspension.
The relationship has appeared to be in a better place in recent weeks, but even if he and Iisalo are on good terms, Morant’s position as a long-term cornerstone in Memphis no longer seems nearly as secure as it once was. His maximum-salary contract, his past off-court conduct, his injury history, and his declining production are all factors that may complicate his place in the Grizzlies’ future.
The Timberwolves and Kings were among the teams said to be monitoring Morant’s situation earlier this season, and both Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link) and Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) suggest they’re worth keeping an eye on now that the Grizzlies are apparently more open to a deal.
Still, a recent report suggested Minnesota is more inclined to pursue point guards on mid-tier contracts rather than maximum salaries, and it’s unclear if Morant fits Scott Perry‘s vision to build a more defensive-minded roster in Sacramento.
Both Siegel and O’Connor also mention the Heat as a possible suitor for Morant, with Siegel tweeting that Miami was among the clubs to reach out to Memphis in the fall.
The Grizzlies will be gauging the market on Morant shortly after the Hawks moved four-time All-Star point guard Trae Young for a modest return: CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert, and no draft compensation. Morant is earning less than Young ($39.4MM this season) and is on a guaranteed contract for two more years beyond this one, but scouts and executives have expressed skepticism about the trade value of offense-first point guards like Morant.
“Ja, Trae and LaMelo (Ball) don’t have that much value because the game has changed around them,” one scout recently told The Athletic.
The Grizzlies reshaped their roster last summer, sending Desmond Bane to Orlando for a package that featured four first-round picks. While the team is still headlined by veteran stars Morant and Jackson, the front office has done well building a promising young core around them, including Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells.
Despite being open to trading Morant, the Grizzlies apparently aren’t looking to launch a full-fledged rebuild entirely around that younger group — Siegel reports that the club has no interest in discussing potential deals involving Jackson.
Northwest Notes: Topic, Blazers, Nnaji, Wolves, Harkless
Misko Raznatovic, the agent for Thunder guard Nikola Topic, shared an update on his client, telling the Serbian-based outlet Arena Sport TV that Topic has successfully completed chemotherapy to treat his testicular cancer, per Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman.
“The chemotherapy was successfully completed, and he is now returning to the training process, although he was active during the therapy as well,” Raznatovic said. “It’s hard to pinpoint a timeline, but I sincerely hope he gets minutes this year, not only in the G League but on the NBA floor as well, if everything goes the way it is right now.”
Word broke in October that Topic, a 2024 lottery pick who missed his entire rookie season due to an ACL injury, had been diagnosed with testicular cancer and was undergoing treatment. As Raznatovic acknowledges, there’s still no timeline for the 20-year-old to make his NBA debut, but this is a major positive development.
We have more from around the Northwest:
- The Trail Blazers intend to present a proposal to the Oregon state legislature next month to have all state income taxes from players and team employees (for both the Blazers and visiting teams) redirected from Oregon’s general fund to a $600MM renovation project for the Moda Center, reports Bill Oram of The Oregonian (subscription required). One source who spoke to Oram about the proposal suggested it would help “guarantee the Blazers’ future” in Portland.
- Nuggets forward/center Zeke Nnaji hasn’t developed like the team hoped since signing a four-year, $32MM contract extension in October 2023, but with centers Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas sidelined, Nnaji has been giving the team solid minutes at the five, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Nnaji, who has five steals and six blocked shots in his past three games, is playing “amazing” defense, according to teammate Jamal Murray — head coach David Adelman didn’t disagree. “I don’t remember him moving this well,” Adelman said after Wednesday’s win over Boston. “…He guarded everybody in this game, because we were switching. Just cool to see him have some success. Obviously, he hasn’t been in the rotation.”
- The streaking Timberwolves have won four games in a row and now hold a top-four spot in the Western Conference. In a pair of stories for The Athletic, Jon Krawczynski examines the impact of center Rudy Gobert, writing that the big man is playing as well as he ever played in Minnesota, and notes that Anthony Edwards reached the 10,000-point mark on Thursday. Edwards was the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach that plateau, behind only LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
- Two-way player Elijah Harkless has appeared in just seven games for the Jazz so far this season and hasn’t seen any NBA action since November 18, but he has been thriving in the G League. Harkless was named the NBAGL’s Player of the Month for December after he averaged 28.3 points and 5.2 assists per game, per the league (Twitter link).
NBA’s Future With Main Street Sports Group In Doubt After Missed Payments
The future of the NBA’s relationship with Main Street Sports Group is uncertain after the company failed to make its January payments to several teams, sources tell Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal.
Main Street, which is in the process of being sold to DAZN, also missed a payment to Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals last month. According to Friend, that prompted the NBA league office to contact all 13 teams doing business with the company to warn them that their January payments may not arrive as expected. Friend reports that at least several of those teams didn’t receive scheduled rights fee payments this week.
The missed deadline won’t have an immediate effect, as telecasts will continue on Main Street’s FanDuel Sports Networks. Sources tell Friend that default notices have already been sent to Main Street, which will have a 15-day cure period once they are received.
“Main Street Sports Group is in dialogue with its team and league partners around the timing of rights payments as we progress discussions with strategic partners to further enhance our long-term capital position,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to Sports Business Journal.
According to Friend’s sources, the 13 teams have safeguards in their contracts with Main Street that will make them the primary payees from the company’s creditors if it were to go out of business.
Friend hears that Main Street lost about $200MM in 2025 and owes the teams a combined $180MM for this season. The potential sale depends on several conditions, he adds, such as DAZN wanting the teams’ digital rights, hoping to negotiate extensions through at least the 2028/29 season and trying to get teams to accept lower fees for their broadcast rights.
If the sale can’t be completed in January, sources tell Friend that Main Street officials plan to shut down the business after the NBA and NHL seasons conclude, but they hope to continue game broadcasts until then. However, team sources aren’t convinced that Main Street has the financial means to keep producing the games, so the 13 NBA teams will need to develop emergency backup plans.
“The league has the capacity to put them on, to stream them, and all the teams are certainly equipped to go over-the-air to do it,” one team source tells Friend. “But now the revenue gets crushed. Hopefully a lot of people have already gotten paid at least 30 to 50% of this year’s revenue. But you’ll never get the rest of that money back, you’ll never recoup the money.’’
Friend notes that if Main Street dissolves, digital rights would revert back to the teams, which would make a national streaming Regional Sports Network much easier to accomplish. If DAZN completes the deal, not much will change except for the brand name. However, the company will have to address the issue of extensions, as contracts with the Grizzlies, Hornets and Magic expire after the current season, and deals with the Thunder, Clippers, Timberwolves, Pacers, Hawks, Heat, Cavaliers and Bucks only run through 2026/27.
According to Friend, here are the 13 teams under contract with Main Street and their rights fees payments for 2025/26:
- Atlanta Hawks: $32M
- Charlotte Hornets: $16.57M
- Cleveland Cavaliers: $34M
- Detroit Pistons: $25.78M
- Indiana Pacers: $17.47M
- Los Angeles Clippers: $34.59M
- Memphis Grizzlies: $11.41M
- Miami Heat: $55M
- Milwaukee Bucks: $24M
- Minnesota Timberwolves: $24.88M
- Oklahoma City Thunder: $16.67M
- Orlando Magic: $26.19M
- San Antonio Spurs: $19.92M
Siegel’s Latest: Sabonis, Raptors, Bucks, Warriors, Nets, White, Lakers
After buying low on Brandon Ingram at last season’s trade deadline, could the Raptors seek out a similar move this February? According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Kings center Domantas Sabonis is one name that has been continually linked to Toronto. The Raptors’ interest in Sabonis was first reported in December by Jake Fischer and has since been corroborated by several other outlets.
Malik Monk is another player who has intrigued Toronto in the past, Siegel writes, noting that Kings general manager Scott Perry drafted current Raptors veterans RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley when he was in New York’s front office. While there’s no indication that the two teams have seriously discussed such a deal involving those four players, Siegel suggests that sort of framework could be worth keeping an eye on.
If Toronto does end up moving Barrett in that sort of bigger move, he’d likely draw interest from several teams besides Sacramento, Siegel writes, given the lack of high-level wing talent on the trade market. The Bucks, for example, expressed interest in Barrett last season, per Siegel.
Here’s more from Siegel’s latest NBA rumor round-up:
- The Warriors have internally discussed many possible center trade targets, including Myles Turner and Bobby Portis of the Bucks, per Siegel. A number of teams around the NBA are curious about Milwaukee’s plans for Portis, Siegel continues, with the Hornets and Suns also considered possible suitors, perhaps in multi-team scenarios.
- Suns guard Jalen Green is among the players the Bucks have inquired on, but Phoenix isn’t interested in moving him at this point, says Siegel. Given that Green has only played two games this season due to hamstring issues, the Suns view him as a sort of trade-deadline addition themselves, Siegel explains.
- Although the Nets are fielding inquiries on players like Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton, they aren’t actively looking to move them. In order for Brooklyn to consider a deal involving either player, the starting point for a package would have to be a “true” unprotected first-round pick, Siegel writes.
- The Mavericks and the Clippers are among the teams with interest in Bulls guard Coby White, sources tell Siegel, who reiterates that the Timberwolves also remain interested and notes that some league insiders have speculated that the Hawks could be a destination for White in the event of a Trae Young trade.
- With higher-level options like Herbert Jones potentially out of reach, players like Bulls forward Isaac Okoro, Kings guard Keon Ellis, and Nets wing Haywood Highsmith are considered more realistic possibilities for a Lakers team seeking defensive help, according to Siegel. Mavericks forward Naji Marshall is another possible trade candidate to add to that group if Dallas commits to becoming a seller.
Trade Rumors: Trae, Dillingham, Wizards, Kuminga, Warriors
The Wizards have been monitoring Trae Young‘s situation in Atlanta since the Hawks opted against extending him during the offseason and have engaged in “serious” discussions about a potential trade, confirms Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, Atlanta isn’t rushing into an agreement, since the front office wants to wait to see if other suitors emerge in the weeks leading up to the February 5 trade deadline.
So far, Fischer writes, it’s unclear whether any other teams have joined Washington in actively exploring a deal for Young. Fischer hears that the point guard’s camp has suggested the Timberwolves and Nets as two potential trade partners that would appeal to Young, but neither of those teams has reciprocated that interest to this point.
The Wolves, in fact, are unlikely to pursue any high-priced point guard, Fischer writes, explaining that Minnesota wants to upgrade the position but is more focused on players with more manageable cap hits.
Fischer points to Mike Conley‘s $10.8MM expiring deal and Rob Dillingham‘s rookie scale deal (which pays him $6.8MM this season) as contracts that the Wolves could use for matching purposes in that sort of trade, noting that they aren’t opposed to discussing Dillingham, who hasn’t yet developed into a reliable rotation player.
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- If the Wizards and Hawks do make a trade involving Young, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the 27-year-old and his new team agree to a contract extension that replaces his $49MM player option for 2026/27 with a lower cap hit and tacks on at least a couple new years to his deal, Fischer writes. League insiders that Fischer spoke to about that subject suggested the extension offer would likely have to be worth $100MM+ to convince Young to decline that $49MM option.
- Ben Golliver of The Washington Post lays out the cases for and against a Wizards trade for Young.
- The Warriors have had many trade conversations about forward Jonathan Kuminga, but have yet to make “substantial movement” toward a deal, league sources tell Anthony Slater of ESPN. Team sources have said recently that Golden State would be willing to hang onto the 23-year-old beyond the trade deadline if no appealing offers materialize, according to Slater, though he notes that may be posturing. The Warriors have also been unwilling to take on contracts that extend beyond the current season if they consider them to have negative value, Slater adds.
- League sources tell Slater that the Warriors have “sniffed around” the center market. If Al Horford – who has played better since Christmas than he did earlier in the season – stays healthy and continues to improve, the front office may feel less inclined to target a big man at the trade deadline, Slater notes.
- Sam Quinn of CBS Sports takes a look at the teams currently operating in luxury tax territory and considers which ones are the best bets to try to duck below the tax line at the trade deadline — and which players could be on the move in those types of trades.
Scotto’s Latest: Trae, Risacher, AD, Zubac, Pacers, Celtics, Cavs
The Bucks, Timberwolves, and Clippers are among the teams that are monitoring Trae Young‘s situation along with Washington, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
While Dallas doesn’t appear to have any interest in the Hawks‘ point guard, the Mavericks are among the clubs that have called to inquire about former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, league sources tell Scotto. However, the Hawks have been opposed to including either Risacher or their top 2026 first-rounder (the most favorable of the Bucks/Pelicans picks) in any trade discussions involving big man Anthony Davis.
If Atlanta and Dallas do pursue a deal involving Davis, the Mavericks would likely be seeking expiring contracts like those belonging to Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7MM) and Luke Kennard ($11MM), according to Scotto, who notes that Hawks senior VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham is close with Davis dating back to their time together in New Orleans.
Here’s more from Scotto’s latest rumor round-up:
- Although Ivica Zubac has drawn significant interest from potential suitors, the Clippers don’t appear inclined to become deadline sellers, especially after their recent run of seven wins in eight games. Earlier in the season, there was a sense that it would take at least two first-round picks for L.A. to consider parting with Zubac, Scotto writes, adding that the Pacers and Celtics both expressed interest in the big man. Those two clubs were previously linked to the Clippers center.
- In addition to Zubac, the Pacers have checked in on Nic Claxton of the Nets, Yves Missi of the Pelicans, Daniel Gafford of the Mavericks, and Walker Kessler of the Jazz as they seek out a long-term answer at center, league sources tell Scotto.
- The Celtics, meanwhile, have been unwilling to attach a first-round pick to Anfernee Simons to move off his contract, Scotto writes. Presumably, the Celtics would be more open to that idea in a deal that nets them a quality player, but not in a pure salary-dump trade for luxury tax purposes. Scotto goes on to say that Boston isn’t looking to take back multiyear salary in any Simons trade, so if the team were exploring a deal with a trade partner like the Nets, Day’Ron Sharpe ($6.25MM team option for 2026/27) and Ziaire Williams (ditto) would hold far more appeal than Terance Mann, who is owed $31.5MM over the two seasons after this one.
- The Cavaliers have rebuffed inquiries on their core players, but teams around the NBA – cognizant of Cleveland’s unfavorable cap/tax situation – are continuing to monitor the situation to see if that stance changes. According to Scotto, the belief among executives is that if the Cavs do decide to move someone like Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen, it’s more likely to happen during the offseason than in the next month.
Heat’s Tyler Herro To Return On Tuesday
Heat guard Tyler Herro has been upgraded from questionable to available on the team’s injury report and is on track to make his return on Tuesday vs. Minnesota, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
It will be the first time Herro has played since December 9. He has missed 11 straight games and 13 of the past 14 due to a right big toe contusion. The 25-year-old was also inactive for the first 17 games of the season while he recovered from left ankle surgery — he has played just six times so far this season.
Herro was as effective as ever when he did suit up for that handful of games in November and December. In his six outings, he has averaged 23.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 31.8 minutes per contest, with an excellent .505/.405/.923 shooting line.
Herro was immediately reinserted into the starting lineup following his first lengthy injury absence and will likely reclaim that spot again this time around. However, it’s worth noting that Miami has been having more success lately with its lineup of Bam Adebayo, Kel’el Ware, Norman Powell, Davion Mitchell, and Andrew Wiggins. That group has started each of the past four games (including three wins) and has a +18.0 net rating during that stretch.
While the Heat are getting one of their leading scorers back for Tuesday’s game, the Timberwolves may be missing their top offensive weapon. Anthony Edwards has been added to the injury report due to right foot injury maintenance and is considered questionable to play, per the team (Twitter link).
Trae Young Rumors: Wizards, Nets, Rockets, Wolves
While Washington looks like the “clear favorite” for Trae Young at this juncture, no trade agreement between the Hawks and Wizards is imminent, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who suggests Atlanta will continue to explore other trade scenarios involving the four-time All-Star guard in the coming weeks. The Hawks’ talks involving Young have been “minimal” so far, Siegel adds.
As ESPN first reported on Monday, the Hawks and Young are working together in the hopes of finding a trade partner. Ideally, Siegel writes, that trade partner would be willing to sign Young to a contract extension after acquiring him, though it’s unclear if the Wizards would be on board with that plan.
Exploring the possibility of a deal between Atlanta and Washington, Josh Robbins of The Athletic speculates that Wizards officials may view a hypothetical Young acquisition as a “one-year trial.” In that scenario, Young would presumably exercise his $49MM player option for the 2026/27 season, which Siegel notes is the most probable outcome if he’s not extended before then. An in-season extension would require Young to turn down that option.
As for what a trade agreement between the Hawks and Wizards might look like, Siegel says Washington is seeking draft compensation in addition to Young, while Atlanta would like to add young talent alongside CJ McCollum and his expiring $30.6MM contract. Siegel speculates that the Hawks are likely asking about players like Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, and Tre Johnson, though he cautions that the Wizards have signaled they don’t want to part with their top young talent in a deal for Young.
Exploring next steps for the Hawks and Young, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) wonders if there’s a way for both Atlanta and Washington to get what they want out of a deal. For instance, Gozlan suggests the Wizards could include a useful role player like Corey Kispert along with McCollum, while the Hawks could perhaps offer a first-round pick swap.
Here’s more on Young:
- ESPN’s Tim Bontemps examines why the trade market for Young is limited, while in the same article, Kevin Pelton and Zach Kram pose four hypothetical trade offers for the Hawks guard. Bobby Marks’ favorite of the four proposals for Atlanta is one that would send McCollum, Malaki Branham, AJ Johnson, and Oklahoma City’s 2026 first-round pick to the Hawks for Young and a future second-rounder. However, Marks isn’t sure whether the Wizards would make that offer, pointing out that they may want more draft compensation from Atlanta for taking on Young’s potential $49MM salary for next season.
- While the Nets and Rockets have been connected to Young in the past, they don’t have interest in pursuing him at this time, Siegel writes for ClutchPoints. Sam Amick of The Athletic said the same of Sacramento on Monday.
- Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link) views the Timberwolves as an unlikely suitor for Young. As aggressive as Tim Connelly is on the trade market, Young’s $46MM cap hit for this season and $49MM option for next season would make it difficult for the Wolves to put together a package they’re comfortable with — and to accommodate Young on their cap going forward.
Deni Avdija, Tyrese Maxey Named Players Of Week
Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija and Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Avdija averaged 26.8 points, 9.8 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game while leading to Portland to a 3-1 record during the week of December 29 to January 4. This is the first time Avdija has earned Player of the Week honors. He’s the first Portland player to get the nod since Damian Lillard on Feb. 6, 2023.
Maxey averaged 34.7 points and 8.7 assists per game while shooting 61.2% from the field as the Sixers went 3-0. It’s the third time Maxey has earned Player of the Week honors, including the second time this season — he joins Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and Celtics wing Jaylen Brown as the Eastern Conference’s two-time winners so far in 2025/26.
Devin Booker (Suns), Stephen Curry (Warriors), Kevin Durant (Rockets), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) were the other nominees in the West.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Paolo Banchero and Anthony Black (Magic), Brown (Celtics) and Cade Cunningham (Pistons) were also nominated in the East.
Spurs’ Johnson, Celtics’ Mazzulla Named Coaches Of The Month
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson is December’s Coach of the Month in the Western Conference, while Joe Mazzulla of the Celtics is the Eastern Conference recipient of the award, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).
Johnson guided the Spurs to an 11-3 record in December, not including the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count toward the regular season standings. San Antonio’s big month, which included three separate victories over the defending champion Thunder, occurred despite Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle each missing multiple games due to injuries.
In addition to posting the NBA’s best record for the month, the Spurs also had the fifth-best offensive rating (118.9) and sixth-ranked defensive rating (112.0), which helped earn Johnson Coach of the Month recognition over fellow nominees David Adelman (Nuggets), Mark Daigneault (Thunder), and Chris Finch (Timberwolves), per the league (Twitter link).
As for Mazzulla’s Celtics, they ranked eighth in the East entering December, but finished the month as the No. 3 seed in the conference after going 9-3.
Even without perennial All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum, Boston had the NBA’s best offensive rating (124.3) and second-best net rating (+11.0) in December en route to wins over the Knicks, Lakers, and Raptors (twice), among others.
J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons, Mike Brown of the Knicks, and Jordi Fernandez of the Nets were also nominated for the award.
Daigneault and Bickerstaff earned the monthly honor for games played in October and November.