3 players Grizzlies would consider trading Ja Morant for

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.

2. Jayson Tatum

The Memphis Grizzlies trading Ja Morant is essentially just as ridiculous of an idea as the Boston Celtics trading Jayson Tatum.

Both are considered to be atop the totem pole when it comes to the league’s elite youngsters, so what better way is there for both franchises to receive fair value on the market for their respective centerpieces than to simply swap them for one another?

Just recently turned 25, Tatum has established himself as a bonafide superstar in only six seasons. Throughout this span, he has become known as a “do it all” type of tweener forward who supports career averages of 22.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and just shy of a block on 45.8 percent shooting from the field and 37.5 percent shooting from deep.

2022-23 proved to be the best of his tenure with the Celtics, as Tatum posted stupendous averages of 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from distance.

And once again, keep in mind that he just eclipsed the quarter-century mark.

Already a four-time All-Star and a three-time All-NBA selectee who has guided Boston to four Conference Finals appearances and, in 2022, an NBA Finals berth, there’s simply no telling where the cap is on the wing’s potential, thus easily making him one of the very few players the Grizzlies likely would be satisfied with attaining in a hypothetical Morant trade.

1. Luka Doncic

If the Memphis Grizzlies ever opted to trade away their phenom guard, they should without a doubt try to shoot for the stars when it comes to negotiations, and arguably the brightest star of the bunch currently in the NBA is Dallas Mavericks cornerstone, Luka Doncic.

Is he a floor general or a small forward? At 6-foot-7 with impeccable court vision and ball handling skills such as the ones he possesses, Doncic is a truly versatile talent who can be plugged in at almost any position in the game and can still make an extraordinary impact for his respective team.

A true triple-threat superstar who can score, rebound, and facilitate, the Slovenian-born baller has quelled many fears amongst teams regarding European prospects making their way over to the association that has existed for decades — he’s simply THAT good.

Even with his established pedigree, his fifth season in 2022-23 proved to be his best from an all-around statistical standpoint, as he posted sensational averages of 32.4 points (career-high), 8.6 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.4 steals (career-high) per game while shooting a career-best 49.6 percent from the field to go along with a 34.2 percent shooting clip from deep.

Still only 24 years old, Doncic has proven himself to be a year-in, year-out MVP candidate who astonishingly still has plenty of room to grow when it comes to his game.

Is there a scenario where losing Morant wouldn’t be tough? Absolutely not. However, if the return for such a hardship is Doncic, then the exchange would likely be easier to stomach when compared to the many other possible scenarios seen mentioned on the internet these days.

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