{"id":176047,"date":"2026-02-04T15:47:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T20:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=176047"},"modified":"2026-02-04T15:47:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T20:47:44","slug":"kings-ja-morant-giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-keyholders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/02\/04\/kings-ja-morant-giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-keyholders\/","title":{"rendered":"Kings Are Ja Morant, Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Keyholders"},"content":{"rendered":"

2025 No. 11 pick Cedric Coward<\/a> and 2024 No. 9 pick Zach Edey<\/a> are now the Memphis Grizzlies’\u00a0cornerstone players. What that really means is they’re still trying to find a new home for Ja Morant<\/a>, their face of the franchise since 2019. For sentimental reasons, Morant’s first choice would be to work it out with his current employer<\/a>. Nevertheless, he’s partial to a deal that sends him to the Miami Heat, if he is in fact shipped out.<\/p>\n

With so many moving parts ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline, Morant’s trade could be tied into that of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>. Yet, both he and Antetokounmpo’s future could be determined by the Sacramento Kings.<\/p>\n

Are The Kings The Ja Morant Trade Keyholders?<\/h2>\n

The Grizzlies are not prioritizing Morant’s trade preferences as they continue to tear down their roster (h\/t Yahoo Sports insider Kelly Iko).<\/p>\n

This news comes on the heels of co-worker Kevin O’Connor’s revelation that the Kings “remain the team most strongly connected” to him. Internally, they view Morant as a “a high-upside player who could return to star status<\/a> with a change of scenery.” O’Connor’s appendage corroborated information from Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix. Earlier today, Mannix wrote that Sacramento, Miami and the Miami Heat “are three teams believed to be in the mix<\/a> [for Ja Morant]…”<\/p>\n

Taking it back even further, Mannix’s report itself followed a live blog update<\/a> from The Athletic’s Sam Amick. Addressing Morant’s status just after the Jackson trade, Amick relays that the Kings “have still not completely closed the door on” Morant. However, he acknowledges that “the percentage chance of this actually happening was placed in the low-single-digits…” To that point, The Stein Line insider Jake Fischer has been told that Sacramento’s desire to bring Morant on board “continues to be minimal<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

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Memphis is not working with Morant in the same manner as other stars like Harden and Giannis have done with their respective teams in trade talks, sources say. The Grizzlies are seeking the best deal strictly for the organization. https:\/\/t.co\/cc2dgOp6QU<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) February 4, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n