Of course, debates will rage on about whether the Grizzlies should trade Ja Morant or not. It feels inevitable that Morant ends up getting traded this summer; however, there is one harsh truth that limits the haul the Grizzlies would get. The league does not currently value Ja Morant as much as the Grizzlies fanbase does.
Selected 2nd overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, Ja Morant took the league by storm, winning Rookie of the Year and eventually leading the Grizzlies back to the playoffs in his second season. By his third season, the Grizzlies were seen as arguably the most promising team in the entire NBA, and Morant had landed on the All-NBA Second Team.
Highlight reel dunks and a relentless ability to attack the rim helped him become one of the biggest stars in basketball. It also helped that he was so fearless in the clutch early on. It felt like the start of what was going to be a legendary career and that he could potentially lead the Grizzlies to their first NBA championship alongside Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane.
Unfortunately, fast forwarding to now, the Grizzlies have failed to win a playoff series since the 2021-22 season and have missed the playoffs in two of the last three seasons. Desmond Bane was traded last summer, and Jaren Jackson Jr. was traded just two days before this year's trade deadline. Ja Morant's name was also linked to plenty of trade rumors, but he remained with the team.
Ja Morant's value around the league is simply not what it used to be
The truth is it's very unfortunate that it got to this point for Ja Morant after how well his career started. Morant still remains very talented, but the lack of availability and growing offensive inconsistency in recent seasons have only fueled the possibility of a trade. The Grizzlies will almost certainly trade Morant this summer, but Marc Stein's latest intel is a harsh reality (subscription required).
There were two things that really stood out. First, it was mentioned that Morant's name isn't as volunteered by team officials compared to some of the other big-name trade targets such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard. That part was not exactly surprising, but there was another key piece that really stood out.
Stein wrote, "Last Thursday ESPN published a lengthy piece about Morant's uncertain future in Memphis. Yet what the story did, perhaps more than anything, is illuminate how far removed Morant suddenly seems from the league's elite."
Not even a few years ago, there would likely be plenty of teams league-wide that would be willing to give up significant assets for Ja Morant. Now, it's pretty unlikely that the Grizzlies will get any meaningful draft capital in return for Morant and could even have to attach a pick of their own. It is unfortunate for Grizzlies fans, but Morant's value has never been lower throughout the NBA.
This is a pivotal offseason for the franchise, and it appears that the first decision the Grizzlies will make will be to trade Ja Morant at a cut price. Ja Morant is one of the most talented Grizzlies ever, but there is no denying how much his value has fallen in the last few seasons, especially league-wide.
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