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3 players Grizzlies would consider trading Ja Morant for

By Mark Nilon

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - APRIL 26: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies brings the ball upcourt against the Los Angeles Lakers during Game Five of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at FedExForum on April 26, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - APRIL 26: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies brings the ball upcourt against the Los Angeles Lakers during Game Five of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at FedExForum on April 26, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images) /
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Recently, the folks at Bleacher Report constructed a hypothetical trade package that saw the Memphis Grizzlies ship centerpiece Ja Morant out to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for star big Zion Williamson.

As expected, fans and media pundits were rather awestruck by the idea, for the sheer notion of the franchise moving on from the superstar point guard at this point in time is nothing short of ludicrous.

With that being said, the piece by writer Zach Buckley did spark a rather jarring question for us at BSB: If the Grizzlies were to shockingly try and trade the likes of Morant, who would be an appropriate player to pursue in exchange?

It cannot be stated enough that no person in their right mind should believe the 24-year-old is at risk of being sent out of Gind City any time soon.

However, in the extremely unrealistic scenario where he’s actually being shopped by Memphis, there seem to be only three players worth parting with his services for.

The only players that might be worth the Grizzlies trading Ja Morant for

3. Trae Young

Should the Grizzlies ever wind up parting ways with Ja Morant via trade (again, something that no one should expect any time soon), such a move would create a vaccany at the club’s starting one position that, in turn, would be in need of filling.

With this in mind, why wouldn’t they consider looking to fill said spot with a player of the same position and who’s viewed as being on a similar level of stardom as Memphis’ current centerpiece?

Enter: Trae Young.

Though the two are often seen mentioned in the same breathe when it comes to the point guard tiers conversation, ironically the two couldn’t have more opposite skill sets.

Morant is more of an attack-the-rim brand of baller who relies heavily on his athleticism while Young is someone who prefers to hang around the mid-to-long range and thrives as a result of his finesse.

That said, swapping the former out for the latter could still easily have Memphis producing at a top-notch rate for the foreseeable future (the Hawks star will only be turning 25 this month), and could help aid in several areas within their game such as long-range shooting (ranked eighth-worst last season) and distribution, for Young has averaged a clip of 35.7 percent shooting from deep and has dished out 9.8 assists per game over the last three seasons compared to Morant’s 31.7 percent mark and 7.4 dimes over this span.

Though the Grizzlies guard is revered as a higher level talent by many fans and experts alike, in the catastrophic event in this alternate reality that he is moved, exchanging him for Atlanta’s lead guard would by no means be a poor consolation prize.

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