The Memphis Grizzlies have utilized the NBA Draft to build a well-oiled machine. The offense flows with ball and player movement, while the defense has a surplus of quality contributors and a former Defensive Player of the Year.
Memphis is seemingly a reliable go-to scoring threat away from contending, but the rumor that the Ja Morant trade market has dried up could derail its progress.
Morant has become the epitome of polarizing, with a recent one-game suspension exemplifying the turbulent nature of his tenure. Between injuries and off-court issues, questions have arisen in regard to whether or not he can be the franchise player he once appeared to be a lock to become.
During a recent episode of The Hoop Collective, NBA insiders Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon discussed a potential Morant trade and revealed that they'd heard the market for him is limited.
"Bontemps, you say trade him. Here's the problem: You guys talk to people, I talk to people. Do you find a lot of people that believe there's going to be some robust market if [the Grizzlies] do shop Ja Morant?"
Bontemps quickly noted that he, "Didn't say trading him was easy," before offering a broader response:
"No. No, I don't think there is one. And I think for a couple reasons. One is, all the things we just talked about [suspensions, injury history]. Second is: He's just not that much of a difference maker at the position."
Once heralded as one of the faces of the NBA, Bontemps and MacMahon's update on the rumor mill paints the picture of Memphis potentially trading Morant for a lackluster return.
Ja Morant trade market is scarce, meaning Grizzlies have limited options
Morant has compiled jaw-dropping averages of 25.5 points, 7.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.6 three-point field goals made over the past five seasons. During the four completed years, Memphis produced two 50-win campaigns and three postseason appearances.
Unfortunately, Morant missed 25 games in 2021-22, 21 in 2022-23, 73 in 2023-24, and 32 in 2024-25—seemingly, and perhaps inevitably, weakening the market for him.
The latest development in the Morant saga is a public dispute between himself and first-year head coach Tuomas Iisalo. It's what led to the conversation that Bontemps and MacMahon had about Morant, and what has ultimately pained this bleak picture.
With Morant's history of injuries and suspensions, as well as a seemingly weakened trade market, there's suddenly reason to question if the Grizzlies need to or even can trade him for a meaningful return.
Can Grizzlies realistically flip Ja Morant for an ideal trade package?
In a perfect world, Morant would get back on the same page with the coaching staff and avoid future injuries. In that scenario, one of the most dynamic players of the modern era would take center stage as a deep and well-rounded Grizzlies team would turn to its franchise star to lead the charge.
In the event that the issues between Morant and the coaching staff can't be resolved, however, he has three years and $126.5 million remaining on his contract that could prove difficult to move—and even more challenging to hold on to if he's not justifying his cap hit.
First and foremost, the Grizzlies would need to find a trade partner that can match the $39,446,090 that Morant is owed in 2025-26. That's certainly manageable, but the goal of convincing a team to send over a single player making a similar salary while providing equal value will be easier said than done.
The possibility certainly exists that Morant could command draft compensation and multiple quality players who aren't quite stars, but Memphis is already deep and well-rounded.
An argument can be made that a team can never be deep enough, but even caution can be detrimental past a certain point. For a Grizzlies team that ranks No. 4 in assist percentage and No. 30 in points per isolation possession, there's simply no way around how badly the team needs a true shot creator to balance out their elite ball movement.
Unfortunately, it appears as though a potential Morant trade might not bring back the type of transformative talent the Grizzlies would need in his place.