What’s next for Ja Morant, Grizzlies after no deal at NBA trade deadline?

The Memphis Grizzlies had an active NBA trade deadlineon the title of which their hit was sent by Jaren Jackson Jr. at the Utah Jazz. In the trade, the Grizzlies also sent away John Konchar, Joc Landale and Vince Williams Jr., while returning Walter Clayton Jr., Taylor Hendricks, Kyle Anderson, George Niyang and three first-round picks.

The Jaren Jackson Jr. deal was widely expected to be a precursor to a I Morant trade, but no deal was reached by the 12:00 p.m. PST deadline. Instead, Morant remained a member of the Grizzlies despite loud rumblings that his time in Memphis was coming to an end.

So what’s next for Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies?

The Grizzlies are expected to trade Morant this upcoming offseason, league sources told ClutchPoints. Memphis made a strong push to trade Morant at the trade deadline, but maintained that they would not accept a package similar to the Wizards’ deal for Tree Young.

But the Grizzlies faced the question of no team willing to give up significant assets for Morant given his off-court and on-court issues. Pat Riley and the Miami Heat were one of the few teams interested in the Grizzlies guard, but they didn’t want to meet Memphis’ asking price for the point guard.

The Grizzlies also engaged the Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks in talks for Morant, but did not reach an agreement with either team by the deadline. According to league sources, trade talks with the Bucks centered on guard Ryan Rollins, but Milwaukee also wanted to include the contracts of Kyle Kuzma or Bobby Portis, who Memphis had no interest in acquiring.

Morant expected to be traded by the February trade deadline, and the fact that he wasn’t was a bit of a surprise, sources said. The teams that didn’t make significant offers came as a wake-up call to Morant, who is determined to come back from an elbow injury and prove to 29 other NBA teams that he’s worth trading for.

Despite Memphis currently sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference standings and entering a rebuild, Ja Morant does not plan to miss the rest of the season, according to a source. Morant wants to get back on the court as soon as he can and show beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is still capable of being one of the best players in the NBA.

Memphis is said to feel the same way, looking to play Morant in hopes of increasing their trade value for the deal in the offseason. The franchise continues to signal that it won’t sell its star point guard low, which means playing him is in the best interest of both Morant and the Grizzlies.

Morant, who has missed the past 10 games with a sprained UCL in his left elbow, is expected to return from injury shortly after the All-Star break, league sources told ClutchPoints.

There is also the issue of contract extension. This summer, Morant will be eligible to sign a three-year, $178 million contract. The Grizzlies weren’t interested in signing that on Morant, and teams interested in trading for Morant will have to keep those extension talks in mind.

Ja Morant played in just 20 games this season, averaging 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game. However, he is averaging a career low, shooting just 41 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from three.

Memphis is also just 7-13 in games Morant has played this season and has the seventh-toughest remaining strength of schedule.