Ja Morant trade destinations: Ranking every team's chances of landing Grizzlies star point guard

It's been a rollercoaster of a career for Ja Morant in Memphis. That ride may be slowing to a stop sooner rather than later.

The Grizzlies' star point guard has already been suspended for a game for conduct detrimental to the team early in the year. His propensity for suspensions were easier to tolerate when he was a top 15 player in the league. He hasn't been close to that guy this season.

Aside from conduct issues, Morant has also been plagued by injuries. He suffered a calf injury on Nov. 15 and has missed the last 10 games.

The dynamic athleticism looks like it's waning as the constant drives to the rim have been catching up to him. And as his career has evolved, both Morant's shooting percentages and scoring numbers have plummeted. 

That makes Morant's trade value by far the lowest that it's even been. He is in Year Three of a fully guaranteed five-year, $197 million contract that will pay him $39.4 million this season. 

The return for a Morant trade won't be high. His durability is a major question mark. He's never played in more than 67 games, and his availability has gotten even worse in recent seasons. Amazingly, he hasn't played in seven games in a row since March of 2023. 

If the Grizzlies did want to try to move off him, here's what every team in the league could offer. 

Ranking Ja Morant trade destinations

Tier 3: Bad fit

29. Heat

The Heat have never been afraid of making a big move. Morant doesn't seem like the right one, though. Miami just installed the offensive system that Morant heavily clashed with last season. He thrives in pick-and-roll, and he would chafe at returning to the style that removes those plays. 

28. Warriors

Morant has already expressed his frustration at not playing a pick-and-roll heavy offense for the Grizzlies. The Warriors don't run a lot of those plays either, and he's not a great fit for the Steph Curry-centric motion offense that Steve Kerr likes to run. 

The Warriors also don't have the pieces to make a clean trade. Jonathan Kuminga earns $22.5 million and was signed in order to be able to match salary on a mid-tier player. That's not enough money to get to Morant's contract. Golden State would have to gut their depth, moving Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Buddy Hield in order to make a deal. 

27. Knicks

The Knicks have embraced a more egalitarian offense under Mike Brown. They're already cooking on that end of the floor, and they don't really need Morant's high-octane drives when Jalen Brunson already provides a lot of those same skills. That defensive backcourt pairing would also be disastrous. 

If the Knicks did want to mix things up, then OG Anunoby would be a near-perfect salary match. He would be the type of wing that the Grizzlies have been coveting for years. New York would have to add in another minimum-salaried player. Tyler Kolek could be a nice project point guard for them. 

26. Sixers

The Sixers have more guards than they know what to do with. Tyrese Maxey is emerging as an All-NBA player, VJ Edgecombe has a shot at Rookie of the Year, and Jared McCain would have won the award last year had he stayed healthy. 

Morant doesn't make sense to add to that mix. And trading away Edgecombe or McCain seems imprudent for a Sixers team that still wouldn't be competing for a championship even after such a trade. 

If the Sixers did go for the high-variance swing, they could move Paul George along with one of their two first-rounders in exchange for Morant and John Konchar. 

25. Spurs

The Spurs are in a similar boat to the Sixers. They already have three young promising guards on their roster in De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper. They would be loathe to give up Castle or Harper for Morant. 

The Spurs do have some clean ways of making a trade if they did decide they were interested. Harper or Castle, alongside Devin Vassell, could form the basis of a trade. 

24. Cavs

The Cavs already have two guards who are better than Morant in Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. 

If they did feel like Morant was an upgrade on Garland, a one-for-one swap would work. Both players will earn $39.4 million this season. Like Morant, Garland has durability issues of his own.

23. Hornets

LaMelo Ball has been a better player than Morant this year. Of course, the Hornets haven't been able to win with him, but he hasn't been the problem.

Both players need the ball in their hands, and both are not good defenders. They would be an awkward fit together. They do make within two million dollars of each other and could be swapped one-for-one if Charlotte was interested. 

22. Nuggets

Morant is not a good fit in the Nuggets' offense, which depends heavily on the two-man game of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Denver also doesn't have tradeable salary to match Morant's number. They'd have to move Murray in order to make a trade work, because they don't have any picks available to attach to lesser players. That would be a non-starter.

21. Hawks

Could the Hawks get out of the Trae Young business, especially with Jalen Johnson's strong play since his injury? Their star point guard could be a free agent this summer after failing to come to terms on an extension. Young has missed the beginning of the season, and the team has managed to stay afloat without him. He's an ultra-talented offensive player, but his defense is tough to cover for. 

Morant would pose several of the same issues and is a worse player than Young. A one-for-one trade between the two stars works cap-wise, but Memphis would have to add value on their side in the form of picks. 

20. Bucks

The Bucks don't have the pieces to make this type of deal work. They could offer Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis, and a first-round pick. As low as Morant's value has gotten, Memphis would blanch at this offer. And, given the ongoing Giannis trade speculation, it probably doesn't make sense for Milwaukee, either.

19. Lakers

The Lakers seem set with primary ballhandlers in Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James. Morant would be a crowded fit. 

Los Angeles also doesn't have the matching salary to make a clean trade. LeBron would be the easiest way to get there. He has a no-trade clause, and he's not waiving it to go to Memphis. 

A combination of Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Gabe Vincent could work in theory in exchange for Morant and Vince Williams. The Grizzlies wouldn't be interested though, and the one pick that the Lakers have to throw into a deal wouldn't be enough. 

Tier 2: Maybe it could happen

18. Mavericks

Even when Kyrie Irving returns from injury, the Mavericks are still going to be severely lacking in high-level guards. They had a formula down with Irving alongside Luka Doncic. Morant is far from Luka, but he'd fill at least some of that void. 

The Mavs also have some pressure to turn around their miserable season. They don't control their picks from 2027 to 2030, so they have to get good again fast. 

There's not a clean salary path towards making a Morant trade work. At 32 years old, Anthony Davis doesn't make a ton of sense for Memphis, and Dallas would presumably want to keep him if they were trading for instant help in the form of Morant.

Dallas would have to package several lesser-tiered players together, such as Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford, and Caleb Martin. They'd also have to throw in one of their two first-rounders remaining. 

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17. Celtics

Boston needs a longer-term solution at guard to replace Jrue Holiday. Morant would certainly be a talent infusion. He doesn't shoot volume 3's like the rest of the team, but the Celtics haven't been a great rim pressure team. Morant could change that, adding an elite driving threat who could spray out passes to the rest of the team's shooters. 

The Celtics would need to package three good rotation players in Anfernee Simons, Sam Hauser, and Payton Pritchard in order to make a deal work. It would be a gamble, but a core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and a healthy Morant could compete for a title next year. 

16. Clippers

The Clippers are an old team that is going nowhere. They may also be losing their draft picks once the NBA closes its investigation on Kawhi Leonard. Why not trade the two available before that happens? 

Bogdan Bogdanovic has been completely ineffective for Los Angeles. John Collins is a Sixth Man of the Year candidate on an expiring deal. Both could be combined, along with one of those two picks, in exchange for Morant. 

15. Suns

The Suns are surprisingly frisky, but they're not doing anything long-term without adding another top 20 player alongside Devin Booker. They don't have that type of prospect on their roster, and they have zero tradeable picks to add someone. They need to make a desperation move. 

Jalen Green could add some volume scoring to the Grizzlies. Khaman Maluach, taken with the 10th pick in the draft, hasn't been able to break into the rotation but is one of the team's only young players with trade value. 

14. Pacers

Morant is one of the fastest guards in the league. He would fit well in the Pacers' offense, although he would need to play off Tyrese Haliburton. 

Andrew Nembhard and Obi Toppin would be enough to get to Morant's salary number. The Pacers could also trade Bennedict Mathurin, who is set to become a free agent this summer. Those three rotation players would be an attractive package for Memphis.  

A trio of Haliburton, Morant, and Pascal Siakam could be enough to get the Pacers back to the Finals. It would be a risky swing, but a good talent play. 

13. Magic

As good as Jalen Suggs is defensively, he's not a dynamic enough point guard to lead what has been a very disappointing Magic offense. Orlando had Finals aspirations coming into the season. They are discovering that they need much more punch in their starting lineup. 

Suggs and promising 22-year-old guard Anthony Black or veteran Tyus Jones could get to Morant's salary number. The Magic already gave the Grizzlies most of their draft equity in the Desmond Bane trade, but they still have one pick that they could throw in.

The lack of 3-point shooting in the starting lineup would be a huge concern, but reuniting Bane and Morant could be fun. The two were very close in Memphis, especially early in their careers.

12. Jazz

With respect to the much-improved play of Keyonte George, the Jazz don't have a franchise point guard on their roster yet. If they do decide to keep Lauri Markkanen, then the timelines of the 26-year-old Morant and 28-year-old Markkanen could line up. The Jazz haven't built much traction by tanking year after year. Maybe it's time to hit the gas pedal and use some of the eight tradeable firsts that they've built up. 

The Grizzlies would just be getting some filler salary in a Morant trade. Jusuf Nurkic has an expiring $19 million that could be used alongside old friend Kyle Anderson.

11. Nets

The Nets are in bad need of talent infusion and some excitement on their roster. Egor Demin was drafted to be the point guard of the future. He looks a long ways off from filling that role. Morant could be a placeholder who fills the seats in Barclays until the younger guys are ready to contribute. 

Michael Porter Jr. could be a one-for-one salary match in exchange for Morant. The Nets could also throw in one of their 10 tradeable first round picks.  

10. Wizards

The Wizards don't have great guard play. Bub Carrington has regressed in his second year, and they need a franchise lead ballhandler. Morant could be that guy, although the timelines don't totally line up with the rest of their super young core. 

The Wizards have two easy ways to make a trade. They have two big expiring contracts in veterans Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum. Either could be paired, along with one of the team's several young prospects or one of the six first-round picks they have to trade. Both of those players would give Memphis some stability in terms of culture, as well.

9. Pistons

Jaden Ivey was often compared to Ja Morant in the predraft process.

Ivey hasn't played for the Pistons this season due to a knee injury. His long-term fit next to Cade Cunningham is still unclear. He does have a ton of talent, but he might be better suited as the lead ballhandler on Memphis rather than the second guard in Detroit. 

Detroit already has a killer defense. Cunningham carries too heavy of a load on the offensive side of the ball. Morant could relieve some of that pressure. Reliable veteran Tobias Harris would need to be included alongside Ivey in order to match Morant's salary. Detroit could also add one of their four tradeable first-rounders. 

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8. Thunder

The Thunder have an insane embarrassment of riches. They're already the best team in the league. They also have a great chance of landing four first-round picks this year, including two in the top 10 and potentially the no. 1 overall pick depending on how bad the Clippers are. 

Oklahoma City doesn't need to do anything to shake up its core, but if they did want a more proven secondary scoring option, Morant could fill that role. The Thunder are a drive-heavy team, and they spread that responsibility out throughout their roster. Morant would fit in that regard. 

The Thunder would have to trade a handful of their rotation guys in order to make a Morant trade. They have a lot of candidates given how deep their team is. The offer that would hurt them the least could involve Lu Dort, Ousmane Dieng, Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber, and a middling first-round pick in exchange for Morant and some minimum-salaried players. 

Tier 1: Makes the most sense

7. Rockets

The Rockets have a great team. Their one weak spot is at point guard. Fred VanVleet is out for the year. Reed Sheppard isn't ready for the spotlight, and also may not be capable of being a pure point at the NBA level.

VanVleet, Sheppard, and Clint Capela could get to Morant's salary number. The Grizzlies could throw in another minimum-salaried player too (welcome back to Houston, Jock Landale).

This deal seems somewhat reasonable for both sides.

6. Blazers

The Blazers look ready to take a step, thanks to an assortment of terrifying defensive players. Scoot Henderson has shown flashes, but he hasn't been the franchise point guard that Portland has been hoping for.

Morant could step into that role, taking the place of disappointing starter Shaedon Sharpe. It would cost Portland Jerami Grant, who is having a big bounce-back season, along with Henderson. 

5. Bulls

Josh Giddey has been great for the Bulls, who started fast this season but once again have fallen on tough times. Chicago knows that it doesn't have a top 10 player in the league on its roster though. Morant hasn't been that guy for a while. There's a slim chance that he could get back there. 

The Bulls have a lot of expiring contracts that they could offer for Morant, chief among them star shooting guard Coby White. Add in expiring contract Zach Collins, and the Bulls have the matching salary for a trade. 

4. Timberwolves

The Wolves badly need a starter-level point guard. Mike Conley has seen a drastic minutes reduction, and young Rob Dillingham hasn't looked ready to fill those shoes. 

Morant and Anthony Edwards would be the most athletic backcourt in the league. Those two would play fast and free together. 

Would the Wolves be willing to take a big step back defensively and trade Rudy Gobert? He's been invisible on offense this season, and he's clearly declining at age 33. A package of Gobert and Dillingham could get Morant. Alternatively, the Wolves could pair Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, and Dillingham to swing a deal for Morant.

3. Raptors

The Immanuel Quickley experiment has been fine, but not great, in Toronto. He was supposed to be a franchise point guard. Instead, he's been inconsistent and overpaid. The Raptors are way too expensive of a team to be middling in a weak East. They could make a big push by swapping Quickley for Morant. 

The Raptors still need to add salary and draft compensation in this deal. Ochai Agbaji's expiring salary would be enough, along with one of their four tradeable firsts.  

2. Pelicans

This has been a disaster season for the Pelicans. They clearly need to make some big changes. The Grizzlies would certainly want Trey Murphy or Herb Jones, who would both be great fits in Memphis. The Pelicans would be crazy to let either go.

More likely, guards Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray would be the outgoing salary in any future trades. Both look like bad fits in the long-term future of the Pelicans. One of those guards, along with a veteran wing in Saddiq Bey, would get to Morant's salary. New Orleans would have to throw in at least one of the four tradeable firsts that they have. 

Another fun construction of a trade could be a straight-up challenge trade between the top two picks in the 2019 draft. Zion Williamson for Morant as a one-for-one deal works. 

1. Kings

The Kings are looking to shake things up. Their team is sideways, and they badly need to make a trade. 

Any of Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, or Zach LaVine make sense as the basis of a Morant trade. LaVine has been the most productive, but he also has the worst contract of the three and doesn't want to play defense. The Grizzlies could ask for one of the six tradeable picks that the Kings have to offer and add a very talented (but overpaid) scorer to their mix. 

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