After the Luka Doncic trade, things in the NBA have shifted dramatically. No star player is safe. When a team trades its 25-year-old superstar, fresh off an NBA Finals appearance, then nobody is safe. While the trade shocked everyone in the league, we might be heading to an even more interesting summer. According to an NBA insider, this summer, we might be looking at a possible Ja Morant trade.
Ja Morant Might be On the Trade Market This Summer
The report comes courtesy of Howard Beck from The Ringer. In his latest podcast, he talked about how he has spoken to NBA executives and they believe we might have a Ja Morant blockbuster trade this summer. He said,
“I am constantly checking in with executives around trade deadline about like, okay, what we saw, what we didn’t see, what’s next, and in this league, you are always, always, always on the lookout for who’s the next wave of stars that are going to get dealt, right? And somebody out of the blue said, keep an eye on Ja Morant this summer. I’m just saying it’s one of those things I’m just kind of keeping an eye on if they were to flame out early.”
An NBA executive pegs Ja Morant as a star to “keep an eye on” as a potential trade candidate this summer if the Grizzlies flame out early, per @HowardBeck on @ringer.
“I'm constantly checking in with executives around trade deadline about like, okay, what we saw, what we didn't… pic.twitter.com/QL3LXpgMSa
— APHoops (@APH00PS) February 18, 2025
Interesting Summer for the Grizzlies Ahead
The Grizzlies will have plenty of work this summer. They have two big decisions they need to make, and neither involves Morant.
Their first priority is re-signing Santi Aldama, a forward that they drafted in 2021. He has improved every year since he has been on the team. This year, he averages 12.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. Most notably, he is shooting 38.6% from behind the arc, giving them a stretch big that changes their dynamic.
The second priority is Jaren Jackson Jr. He will have one more year on his contract, but the Grizzlies should try their best and re-sign him to a contraxt extension. Some may say Jackson is the Grizzlies most important player, as the defensive center can impact the game on both sides of the floor.
While there will be reports that the Grizzlies might make a decision to trade Morant, he is the franchise cornerstone. The team stood behind him when he was dealing with controversy off the floor, and now that he is on his best behavior, there are not many reasons to trade him.
Teammate Doesn’t Believe Ja Will be Traded
GG Jackson, their young, second-year player recently talked about why he doesn’t believe Ja will get traded like Doncic did. Speaking on the “Run it Back” podcast, he said,
“Ja is always on time, he shows up, he puts in the work, and you know, he and our coach Taylor Jenkins have a very close relationship. Kind of you know, like almost like a yin and yang really. They can coach each other about what they see on the floor and stuff like that.”
Another difference between a Morant trade and the Doncic trade is that Morant has several years remaining on his contract. He is signed through the 2027-28 season, at a salary that takes at most 25% of the cap. Because he signed the contract before the new TV deal and increased cap, Morant will account for only 23.99% of the team salary cap in his final year. The Grizzlies are second in the Western Conference, 7-3 in their last 10 games, and have a shot to make it to the NBA Finals. Yet, in the NBA, you never know what can happen if a team has a disappointing postseason.
Teams That Might Make a Ja Morant Trade
When we look at the state of the NBA and teams that might need a star point guard, there are three teams that might look into a Morant trade. Miami is always interested in a star, but we have to include the Rockets here. They have a well-rounded young team that needs a floor general to put things into motion. A surprise team might be the Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker has shown he can be a two-way player, and someone like Ja will take the load off of him offensively.
