Marc Stein shoots down Ja Morant trade speculation to the Pelicans

As the NBA trade deadline approaches with nine days until Feb. 5, The speculation surrounding Ja Morant continues to swirl. One rumored destination, however, seems completely off the table. Veteran NBA insider Marc Stein strongly denied the reports this week Memphis Grizzlies star on New Orleans Pelicans.

In a post published Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter, Stein rejected the idea to hold talks between the two franchises.

“One source close to the process tells @TheSteinLine there are no talks between the Pelicans and Grizzlies about a potential Ja Morant deal…despite persistent speculation to the contrary,” Stein wrote.

Stein expanded that reporting in his latest column for The Stein Line, adding further context to Memphis’ position amid the widespread conversation about the league.

“The search for a confirmed Morant suitor thus continues,” Stein wrote. “The Grizzlies still hope to find a trade partner before the buzzer on Feb. 5 after so much public discourse surrounding Morant’s availability, but as we’ve said: Memphis knows it will be a very tough sell for their fans to deliver Morant the Tree Young way by accepting a multi-team deal for perhaps the most popular player in franchise history.”

Young was traded to the Washington Wizards earlier this month in a deal involving CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, a return Stein cited as a cautionary comparison rather than a template Memphis wants to follow.

Stein added that the Grizzlies’ asking price is still significant.

“The Grizzlies are said to be seeking at least one future first-round pick in the Morant deal,” Stein wrote. “Is it for them? You guessed it: They’ll tell us in the next 10 days.”

Marc Stein pulled off the Pelicans-Ja Morant trade as injuries clouded the Grizzlies’ season

While Memphis continues to scout the field, Stein was emphatic that New Orleans is not among the teams involved in Morant discussions.

“The Pelicans, meanwhile, are on the active side in terms of receiving and fielding calls — and interest in young center Yves Mission is only growing — but the message was clear: No Morant talks,” Stein wrote. “Just as New Orleans has repeatedly insisted it intends to keep in-demand swingers Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones.”

The trade speculation comes amid a challenging season for Morant, who has been limited to just 18 games. The 25-year-old is currently sidelined after The Grizzlies recently announced that he will miss at least three weeks with a sprained UCL in his left elbow. He suffered the injury during a Jan. 21 home game against the Atlanta Hawks and is expected to be reassessed in early February.

On the court, Morant averaged 19.0 points, 7.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds and one steal per game while shooting 40.1 percent from the field. His 20.8 percent three-point shooting marks a career low, although he makes a career-high 90 percent of his free throws. His scoring average is his lowest since 2020-21, reflecting an uneven campaign marked by interruptions and inconsistency.

Memphis enters Wednesday’s slate at 18-26, having lost three straight games following Monday’s 108-99 loss to the Houston Rockets. The Grizzlies are in 12th place in the Western Conference standings and will host the Charlotte Hornets (19-28) on Wednesday night at 8:00 PM ET as they look to regain momentum.

New Orleans, meanwhile, remains at the bottom of the standings at 12-36 despite a recent two-game winning streak that includes a 104-95 rout of the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. The Pelicans will wrap up their three-game road trip on Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder (37-10) at 8:00 PM ET.

As the deadline nears, Morant’s name is expected to remain central to league discourse. For now, Stein’s reporting makes it clear that any supposed route to New Orleans exists only in rumor, not reality.