There’s a weird thing happening in Memphis. The Grizzlies have a 25-year-old former All-NBA guard who once looked like the future of the franchise. And yet more and more people around the league think they’d actually move him this summer. It’s not just the injuries, though those are real. It’s the discipline stuff. The rumored tension with the coaching staff. The sense that maybe the relationship just ran its course.
So who wants Ja Morant right now? The Pelicans are the name that keeps coming up. New Orleans has been discussed as the frontrunner for a deal that would pair Morant with Zion Williamson, the guy drafted one spot ahead of him back in 2019. And from a basketball standpoint it makes some sense. The Pelicans were a disaster this season, 26-56, and they need a jolt. Morant can absolutely give them that. Even in a year where he only played 20 games he dropped 40 points once and 35 another night. The playmaking is still there.
But here’s the catch. Any trade probably starts with Dejounte Murray going back to Memphis, according to Real GM. Morant is owed about $42 million this season and nearly $45 million next year, so the money has to line up. That likely means the Pelicans would also need to include Jordan Hawkins and maybe a draft pick or two. It’s not a massive overpay if Morant is healthy and locked in. But that’s the gamble.
Availability is the real issue
On one side of the scale you’ve got 2022 Morant, averaging 27-6-8 and looking like an MVP candidate. On the other side you’ve got a guy who hasn’t played more than 50 games in three straight seasons. That’s not ideal for a team that’s already had its own injury problems with Zion.
New Orleans seems willing to roll the dice though. The Murray-Williamson core didn’t exactly set the West on fire, and the Pelicans need a different look. From Memphis’s perspective, Murray gives them a steadier veteran presence and a contract that’s easier to flip if they want to pivot again. Moving Morant would be a real shift in direction for the franchise, but it’s a conversation that keeps coming up.
Nothing is done yet. No trade has been reported and no deal is imminent. But the fact that this is even a real talking point around the league says something about where both teams are right now. New Orleans is being discussed as the most likely landing spot. For now at least.
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