Ja Morant’s Trade Value Has Fallen So Far That Teams Now Want the Grizzlies to Pay Them

Ja Morant was supposed to be the franchise. A few years ago, he was the guy who had Memphis believing they’d be contenders for a decade. Now? The Grizzlies can’t give him away without being asked to throw in draft picks.

According to ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill, Memphis has watched its asking price for Morant drop considerably over the past few weeks. Before the draft, the Grizzlies wanted picks. That became pick swaps. Now they’re basically trying to find someone who will match salaries just to get the deal done. And some teams? They’ve reportedly asked Memphis to include draft capital as an incentive to take Morant off their hands.

What Happened to the Ask?

Morant’s contract is the big issue here. He’s owed roughly $42 million next season and $44.9 million the year after. That’s a lot of money for a guy who has played only 79 games over the last three seasons. Injuries have piled up, and the off-court stuff hasn’t helped his reputation around the league.

The market essentially evaporated when Giannis Antetokounmpo got dealt to Miami. Before that blockbuster, the Heat had shown interest in Morant as a potential target. Once Giannis was off the board, you’d think some teams might circle back to Morant. But league sources say that’s not happening unless Memphis sweetens the pot with draft compensation.

(And yeah, that’s wild. A two-time All-Star at 26, and you need to pay someone to take him.)

Memphis Is Moving On

The Grizzlies aren’t interested in keeping Morant around. They want to build around Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells, and this year’s No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer. That’s the new core in Memphis, and the front office seems ready to hand the keys over.

Still, Morant isn’t a scrub. In 20 games last season, he averaged close to 20 points with 8.1 assists and 2.9 boards. When he’s on the floor, he’s still a problem for defenses. The problem is staying on the floor.

The expectation around the league is that Memphis will find a deal before the week is out. The asking price has cratered to the point where a salary dump might be the best they can do. Teams that miss on their primary free agent targets could take a flier on Morant at a discount. But right now, the Grizzlies are in the uncomfortable position of being asked to pay up just to get out of their own star’s contract.