The Pelicans Might Be the Frontrunners for Ja Morant. Here’s What It Would Cost.

The Memphis Grizzlies have been circling a full reset for a while now. Trading Ja Morant would be the final move to clear the deck, and according to NBA insider Sam Amick, the New Orleans Pelicans are currently the leading candidate to land him.

Memphis tried to move Morant ahead of last season’s trade deadline but couldn’t get a deal done. That effort is expected to pick back up this offseason, with the Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves as the two teams most frequently linked to the two-time All-Star.

The Timberwolves have been connected to Morant since last year, but his massive salary makes a deal complicated. The Pelicans, on the other hand, have a more workable path — though it would require moving veteran point guard Dejounte Murray in the package. New Orleans also has rookie guard Jeremiah Fears, taken in the first round last year, who could be part of the conversation.

If the Pelicans pull this off, they’d still have a solid core around Morant — assuming they don’t gut the roster to get him. Trey Murphy III has been floating in trade rumors for a while, but New Orleans has been reluctant to part with the young forward. Keep him, and suddenly you’re looking at a lineup with Morant, Murphy, and Zion Williamson. That’s a lot of athleticism and paint-attacking ability for opposing defenses to deal with.

The fit with Williamson is especially intriguing. Two high-flying scorers who can collapse defenses and finish above the rim? That’s the kind of pairing that gets fans excited and keeps defensive coordinators up at night. But it only works if the Pelicans can hold onto enough shooting and depth around them.

On the Grizzlies’ side, the rebuild is already taking shape. They hold the No. 3 and No. 16 picks in this year’s draft, and there’s chatter about them trying to move back into the top 10. If they can, they’d have a real shot at drafting their point guard of the future. But none of that happens unless they finally find a taker for Morant.

Right now, New Orleans looks like the most realistic landing spot. But in the NBA, a lot can change between rumor and reality. We’ll see how serious this actually gets when the offseason really kicks into gear.