Truthfully, it took me a while to get to this point, but it feels like a no-brainer to trade Ja Morant. I was hoping for Morant to have a big season and build on his strong finish to the 2024-25 regular season. Unfortunately, Morant's lack of availability and significant decrease in offensive efficiency make a trade worth considering. Yes, Morant is a fan favorite and still remains very talented, but trading him is not something that should prevent the Grizzlies from building a winning team.
It is already clear at this point that the Grizzlies are still very far off from being a championship-caliber team like the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. However, with their significant draft capital to work with and multiple promising talents on the roster already, the Grizzlies should be able to return to being a playoff team relatively soon.
An important fact to note is that since the 2010-11 season, the Grizzlies have not missed the playoffs in more than three straight seasons. The Grizzlies already have promising players such as Cedric Coward, GG Jackson II, and Zach Edey, but a loaded 2026 NBA Draft and the flexibility to add more veterans will allow the Grizzlies to see playoff basketball sooner than many expect.
Why a Ja Morant trade makes sense for the Grizzlies
Simply put, one of the best abilities is availability, and any team that wants to win must have their best players consistently healthy. That has not been the case for Ja Morant in the last three seasons. Morant has appeared in only 79 of a possible 246 regular season games, which is just 32% of the possible regular season games. No matter how the Grizzlies build the roster, that simple fact alone makes the path to winning significantly more difficult.
Now, Morant has had some rotten injury luck, and the league has certainly failed to protect him at times as far as officiating goes. Given the fact that Morant has two years and $87 million left on his current contract while struggling to remain healthy, an extension is simply off the table at this point. The choice is clear: either stick with Morant through the remainder of his contract or trade him.
It is understandable why fans want to give Morant another chance past this season; however, a split is simply the logical choice now given the lack of availability and offensive decline.
A Ja Morant trade should not prevent the Grizzlies from competing soon
There are still some burning questions about the Grizzlies' young core. Can Zach Edey stay healthy? Can Cedric Coward take another leap and become a star in Memphis? Will GG Jackson II be a long-term priority for the Grizzlies?
All those questions deserve strong consideration when thinking about the Grizzlies' future. It is also not unfair to question Zach Kleiman's ability to surround the young pieces with proven veteran talent. There are many valid concerns about the Grizzlies' future from the fanbase, which I also have, but trading Ja Morant is not something that should prevent the team from building a winner.
With how much the NBA is starting to fade smaller guards, Ja Morant is in a challenging spot with his skillset. Morant's playmaking is still incredible and arguably the best it has ever been. Unfortunately, that is not enough if Morant continues to struggle as a perimeter shooter. To make matters worse, Morant's rim frequency has kept decreasing the last few seasons, a disastrous development given how much his perimeter shooting continues to be a problem.
The Grizzlies made the right choice to rebuild
It is no secret that the Grizzlies' future will be strongly defined by a loaded 2026 NBA Draft. Still, it remains unfair to expect that the Grizzlies' selections will already be better than Ja Morant on Day 1. However, between a loaded 2026 NBA Draft and guys like Cedric Coward and Zach Edey already on the roster, the Grizzlies could end up having their core way sooner than many expect.
A harsh truth about the Next Gen Era is that they won just one playoff series and failed to live up to expectations. Many factors can explain the Grizzlies' decline, such as injuries and roster construction. But one that must be discussed more is that the core of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. did not show enough signs of being able to get the Grizzlies to the top of the Western Conference.
Given how strong teams like the Thunder and Spurs are, the Grizzlies made the right choice to pivot and rebuild. Trading a fan favorite like Ja Morant will not be easy on the fanbase; however, the Grizzlies have the foundation needed to build a winner in Memphis sooner than many expect.
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