Ranking Ja Morant’s top trade destinations if the Grizzlies move before the 2026 deadline

Following The Atlanta Hawks’ decision to trade Trea Young Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies began to entertain the idea of ​​trading I Morantwho is currently sidelined with a calf injury. Morant was considered one of the fastest-rising young superstars in the association, but a combination of off-the-field issues and persistent injury problems have significantly dimmed his stardom.

Only 26 years old, Morant’s value is the lowestas he is in the midst of his worst season with the Grizzlies. Not only is he averaging the worst points per game of his career outside of his rookie campaign, he’s also shooting a career-worst 40.1 percent from the field and an abysmal 20.8 percent from deep, for an abysmal true shooting percentage of 50.6.

And with injury problems eroding Morant’s once-transcendent athleticism that set him apart from his peers, any team trading for him would have to acknowledge the risk that comes with acquiring him and his huge deal which lasts until the 2027-28 campaign.

One would think there’s a chance he’s simply scooping sand right now so he can engineer his way out of Grizzly. Maybe he can get back to being the NBA level player he was in 2022.

Considering today’s rough CBA landscape, there aren’t too many teams who can take a chance on Morant via trade. Here are a few that could and should.

5. Sacramento Kings

On paper, the Kings may be the most talent-loving team of all Morant’s potential suitors. They are the rare team that doesn’t excel at anything. There is nothing remarkable about this team, other than the fact that they have been bad in every aspect of the sport and the entire roster needs an overhaul.

Acquisition Morant could give the Kings a franchise cornerstonea man to be built in the foreseeable future. But Morant is so full of question marks that an organization as volatile as the Kings shouldn’t have someone as unreliable on and off the court as the Grizzlies’ current point guard as the focal point of the organization.

The Kings tried to address the point guard situation last offseason to try to make up for the loss of De’Aaron Fox. Adding Morant to the mix is ​​a desperation move that this franchise is not positioned for. And they should be looking at building from the ground up and starting from scratch instead of trying to catch lighting in a bottle like they did in 2023 with the Beam team and failing over and over again.

4. Milwaukee Bucks

Many around the association feel some desperation from Bucks as they try to build a winning team around Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo may have come out and said he’s not leaving the organization, even calling himself a Bucks “employee,” but the Bucks must do everything they can to give him another shot at a title.

However, Morant is no longer the caliber of player that can elevate a team from good to great. The Bucks already have limited assets to begin with, and trading all those assets for Morant has a real chance to set the team back for years.

What’s more, guard play isn’t really the Bucks’ problem right now. Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. performed well on a much cheaper contract than Morant’s current contract. The Bucks must prioritize wing play and depth in the trade market if they are to use their limited assets.

Prioritizing acquiring a fellow star who can score from all three levels and score effectively (think someone like Kawhi Leonard or Jailen Brown) should be what the Bucks do.

3. Miami Heat

The Heat’s hot start to the season was fueled by some unreal shooting from beyond the arc that has since tapered off. They rank 22nd in the league in offensive rating, a Tyler Hero’s routine absences they didn’t help anything. Their egalitarian offense has drawn so much praise, but it seems to be more style than substance anyway given their overall production on the season.

If nothing else, the Heat front office would know that the league is built on star power and upper echelon talent. Morant certainly has them in spades, if he’s at his best. And someone like president of basketball operations Pat Riley simply isn’t going to let Morant fool around off the court like he’s done in the past.

But the Heat don’t play a pick-and-roll offense, which lowers Morant’s production ceiling. They could always bring that style of play back into the mix, but the shooting concerns will be enough to delay the Heat from getting further involved in Morant trade talks.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra knows how big a deal it is for his players to be able to shoot 3-pointers, and Morant’s inability to do so, and the lingering uncertainty of his level of play caused by his athletic decline, will cause Miami to stall.

2. Toronto Raptors

That the Raptors are among those in the hunt for Morant is a bit puzzling. While Toronto is rumored to be on the lookout for a potential upgrade move at this point, is Morant actually the one worth pursuing?

They were rumored to have offered Immanuel Quickley to the Hawks as well as several picks to try to replace Young before the Wizards swooped. Atlanta then said no, reportedly because it didn’t want to take on the remaining three years (after this season) of Quickley’s contract.

But the Raptors have been good this season; they have a record of 23-16, and trading a key part of their starting lineup should only happen if it brings about an undoubted upgrade.

Morant might be a bigger gamble than the Raptors want to take at this point. His stance next to RJ Barrett in the backfield is painful at best; Barrett is also at his best when attacking the basket, and needs the ball in his hands to succeed. So is Brandon Ingram. Quickley may not be the best three-point shooter, but he’s still leagues ahead of Morant as a marker.

This is a species a risky maneuver the Raptors organization wants to takebut at this point, the trade pursuit of Morant is better reserved for the offseason.

1. Minnesota Timberwolves

There may not be a team in the NBA that needs a point guard more than the Timberwolves. Their point guard succession plan was good on paper, but it hinged on Rob Dillingham developing into a solid NBA starter fairly quickly.

But even that didn’t materialize, forcing head coach Chris Finch to rely on Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, and to a lesser extent Julius Randle, to handle the bulk of the ball-handling and playmaking duties.

This didn’t stop Minnesota from having a good season; they are currently flourishing in the West at 25-14, with room for even more growth given that they have blown multiple games against inferior opposition.

Regardless, late-game management is an issue for the Timberwolves, and having a true point guard like Morant to manage the clock and the situation should help Minnesota move forward. Morant and Edwards already get along pretty well. And Minnesota has Mike Conley to mentor Morant and help him curb his worst habits.

The The Timberwolves have a winning infrastructureenough trade assets, as well as a huge need at point guard to stand out as Morant’s top potential destination.