This is one of the most exciting times of year with mock drafts and trades coming in. The Grizzlies have plenty of options for how they want to approach the offseason, especially with a loaded 2026 NBA Draft. However, the Grizzlies must avoid this one obvious mistake with a Ja Morant trade, especially on draft night. They should not entertain any thoughts of trading back from the #3 pick.
Understandably, the Grizzlies will continue fielding offers for Ja Morant this summer. Even though the Grizzlies should do everything they can to maximize the best return for Morant, that does not mean the #3 pick should be involved in any trade package. Bleacher Report did a new mock draft that involved the Grizzlies trading back from the #3 pick.
The Grizzlies traded Ja Morant and the #3 pick to the Brooklyn Nets for the #6 pick, Nic Claxton, and Terance Mann. Truthfully, it is a disastrous trade for the Grizzlies and one the organization should not give any consideration to.
It doesn't make any sense for the Grizzlies to sacrifice a top 3 pick
The Grizzlies are in the early stages of a rebuild and must do anything in their power to boost the talent level of the roster. There is already some interesting depth, but the Grizzlies lack a truly established franchise cornerstone. With how strong the 2026 NBA Draft is, this is a golden opportunity for the team to find a potential franchise cornerstone.
In the mock draft, the Nets ended up receiving the draft rights to Cam Boozer, and the Grizzlies received the draft rights to Darius Acuff Jr. While many fans would have been happy to have Acuff Jr. before the draft lottery, it doesn't make sense for the Grizzlies to consider this deal.
One of the biggest reasons they won the draft lottery by getting a top 3 pick is that it allows them the chance to get at least one of whoever remains between AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cam Boozer. Even Caleb Wilson is another name to watch in the top 3. Losing out on all those players would significantly diminish their chances at getting a true franchise-altering player.
The Grizzlies should only move on from Morant at the right deal
Given the fact that Morant has struggled to stay healthy and has shown a decline in offensive efficiency, exploring trades for him makes sense. However, that does not mean the Grizzlies should seek out the wrong deal. Even though Morant's trade value has diminished significantly as of late, the Grizzlies are still better off doing a separate trade than trading out of the top 3.
The Grizzlies have a golden opportunity to boost the roster with picks at #3, #16, and #32. If anything, the better choice than making the proposed Ja Morant trade would be to stay at #3 and look into the possibility of moving up from #16. There is plenty of work to do this offseason, but the Grizzlies can't afford to trade back from #3 just to get out of Ja Morant's remaining deal.
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