3 Blockbuster Ja Morant Trade Ideas After His Explosive Clash with Grizzlies Coaches 

Ja Morant stirred up major controversy after bluntly calling out the Memphis Grizzlies' coaching staff following Friday's 117-112 loss to the LA Lakers. Memphis built a 15-point lead at one point, but still lost. Morant played 30 minutes, scoring only eight points on 3 of 14 shots. He missed all six 3-point attempts.

After a reporter asked Morant about his perspective on what went wrong for him and if he and the Grizzlies could have done anything differently to avoid the collapse, the former All-Star issued a blunt response, saying:

"Go ask the coaching staff ... go ask them, they had a whole spiel in here."

Morant hinted that a rift existed between him and the coaches over his playing time.

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"According to them, don't play me, honestly," he said. That's what basically the message was after (the game), so, it's cool."

Morant also seemed disengaged on the court. His activity on either end wasn't as impactful as it usually is.

It's difficult not to imagine a world where Ja Morant and the Grizzlies' new staff, led by Tuomas Iisalo, don't see eye-to-eye, just six games into his first full season after this explosive interview.

If that's the case, could Morant ask out? Is there a possibility that Memphis pulls the plug on the Morant era, which has yielded a 2022 conference semis finish at best?

The answer is a resounding yes. The Mavericks did it overnight with Luka Doncic. The Suns attempted to trade Kevin Durant without his knowledge. With all due respect to Ja Morant, he's not that big of a star, and at this point, with him healthy, this could be Memphis' best chance to move him and have some edge in a trade.

We look at three blockbuster trades that make sense in a scenario where either Morant pushes for a trade to a specific destination or the Grizzlies do what's best for them.

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Three Ja Morant Trade Ideas After Explosive Rift With Memphis Grizzlies Coaches

#3 Sacramento Kings

The Kings are a team with significant star power, but with no direction as presently constructed in a stacked Western Conference. Their best players' talents don't mesh. None of them appear to be transcendent pieces that can guide them to the mountain top of the NBA.

Sacramento is not an attractive destination at this point for stars looking to move around via trade or as free agents. However, it's one team where Ja Morant might envision himself as a viable threat, alongside some of their top two players, Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis. Meanwhile, for the Kings, it would be a desperation heave to rejuvenate the team's playoff chances.

The ideal trade candidates in a potential deal are DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk. Round two of the DeRozan-LaVine era isn't better than their stint together on the Bulls. As for Monk, the Kings have a surplus of point guards, and his skills are similar to Morant's.

Proposed mock trade sending Morant to the Kings:

Kings receive

• Ja Morant
• Brandon Clarke
• 2026 first-round pick
• 2028 first-round pick (lottery protected)
• 2027 second-round pick
• 2029 second-round pick (via DET, MIL, OR NYK)

Incoming salary: $51.9 million

Grizzlies receive

• DeMar DeRozan
• Malik Monk
• Devin Carter

Incoming salary: $48.4 million

From the Grizzlies' standpoint, they do this trade primarily to move on from the remaining three years of Ja Morant's $197.2 million max rookie contract and build a new team around Jaren Jackson Jr. They also ship the injury-prone Brandon Clarke for taking on the lesser attractive contracts from the Kings.

#2 Miami Heat

The Heat have probably headlined the trade rumor mill for all the best players that have hit the open market in the last four years. Whether it was Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, or Damian Lillard, the Heat have consistently failed to land their desired targets.

It doesn't seem like they will have a chance at another bona fide star for a while. While they do have an All-Star caliber duo in Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, that tandem is unlikely to make a promising challenge for the title.

Ja Morant may not have achieved much in his career collectively, but an organization like the Heat tends to help such players scale their potential. Jimmy Butler is a testament to that.

Proposed mock trade sending Morant to the Heat:

Heat receive

• Ja Morant

Incoming salary: $39.4 million

Grizzlies receive

• Tyler Herro
• Jaime Jaquez Jr.
• 2030 first-round pick (lottery protected)

Incoming salary: $34.9 million

At this point, a Herro for Morant trade is almost like-for-like, given their value. While Morant lately hasn't found as much success as Herro has, talent-wise, many would put him above the Heat star, giving leverage to Memphis in this deal.

#1 Houston Rockets

The Rockets make the most sense for Ja Morant. They acquired Kevin Durant to resolve their offensive struggles, but they still need a point guard. They haven't replaced starting point guard Fred VanVleet, who tore his ACL after re-signing on a two-year $50 million deal and won't play this season.

Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun's presence can make life easier for Ja Morant, who may even see upticks in his 3-point shooting. The 26-year-old Morant fits the team's timeline with the young core of Sengun, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr, after the Durant era.

It's a better option instead of waiting on Fred VanVleet, who turns 32 in February, and will be coming off an ACL injury in the 2026-27 season, inching closer to 33.

So, assuming the point guard-less Houston doesn't improve better than its .500 record over the next few weeks, it should consider Morant as a trade target.

Proposed mock trade sending Morant to the Rockets:

Rockets receive

• Ja Morant

Incoming salary: $39.4 million

Grizzlies receive

• Fred VanVleet
• Dorian Finney-Smith
• Aaron Holiday
• 2028 first-round pick
• 2030 first-round pick
• 2026 second-round pick
• 2028 second-round pick

Incoming salary: $37.7 million

The Rockets move on from the injured duo of Fred VanVleet and Dorian Finney-Smith instead of parting ways with Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason at the expense of two first-round picks and two second-round picks.

Finney-Smith has a four-year contract, but it's guaranteed only through the following season. By 2027, Memphis won't have VanVleet, Finney-Smith, or Holiday's contracts on its books.

Edited by Arhaan Raje