Buying or Selling Ja Morant Trade Rumor and Latest NBA Offseason News
Who said the 2025 NBA Finals must be finished before a potentially hyperactive offseason can get rolling?
Certainly not the Orlando Magic, who brokered this summer's first blockbuster by paying a heavy premium (but also finding a terrific fit) while adding Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
If this is any indication of things to come, this offseason might be every bit as wild as reports suggested it would be. Between a strong draft class, a weak free-agent crop (in terms of both players and buyers) and the wide-open feel of life under this superteam-splintering collective bargaining agreement, there is every reason to believe more fireworks are in the pipeline.
The rumor mill is certainly suggesting as much, though everyone knows by now that not all of these rumblings will come to fruition. It's our duty, then, to separate the stuff from the fluff and decipher which of the latest buzz is worth buying or not.
Grizzlies keeping Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.?
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When the Grizzlies split from Bane on Sunday, one of the hoops world's first reactions was wondering whether Memphis' decision-makers might take a bulldozer down Beale Street. If Bane was expendable, what did that mean for the remaining two members of what was a three-headed monster, Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.?
As it turns out, maybe nothing.
According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, "more star trades are not expected." In case that wasn't clear enough, Bontemps added that "the Grizzlies are not looking to deal either of their two remaining franchise cornerstones."
This deal was seemingly about freeing up flexibility to renegotiate and extend Jackson's contract and reworking the roster around him and Morant.
That won't stop teams from giving those two a look, and perhaps there's an offer big enough to make Memphis rethink this strategy. The trade market doesn't actually operate this way, but you might still see speculation of what Morant or Jackson could bring in a reality where Bane just delivered four first-round picks, a lightly protected pick swap and a couple of rotation regulars.
This feels more like Memphis deciding that the Bane-Morant-Jackson trio had reached its peak, and that change was required for further elevation. The Grizzlies are worse off in the short term, but they have the optionality now of aggressively seeking out additions at some point that could complement this core even better than Bane did.
Buy or Sell? Mostly buy. The Bane trade makes Morant and Jackson seem slightly less untouchable, but almost all roads lead to the pair playing next season (and possibly plenty beyond it) in Memphis.
Kevin Durant Has 3 Preferred Landing Spots?
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With Kevin Durant's split from the Phoenix Suns increasingly feeling inevitable, the next logical place for this discussion to go is potential landing spots. It sounds like the historically potent scoring forward already has input on that subject.
Durant has three "preferred trade destinations" in mind: the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets, per ESPN's Shams Charania. While Durant doesn't have full control of this process (more on that later), he does only have one season left on his contract and has reportedly let it be known that "those are the three teams Durant would commit to with a long-term extension."
This list sounds about right.
The Rockets are loaded with young talent (and draft picks) and might be a go-to scorer away from making a championship run. Plus, Durant has a history with their head coach Ime Udoka, who worked with him in Brooklyn. The Spurs seemingly have a generational talent in Victor Wembanyama, plus they started their acceleration with a deadline deal for De'Aaron Fox.
Meanwhile, the Heat have all of the market advantages that typically connect them to star pursuits: warm weather, pristine beaches and no state income tax. Plus, head coach Erik Spoelstra might be the best in the profession, and there are two bona fide stars on the roster in Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
It still feels like Durant's list could run a bit longer. Helping Anthony Edwards chase championships on the Minnesota Timberwolves sounds appealing. So does potentially reconquering the hoops world with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors.
Durant's name has buzzed long enough for him to have a full lay of the land, though. So if he feels Houston, San Antonio and Miami are his best bets, who are we to argue?
Buy or Sell? Buy. Durant is free to prefer whichever teams he desires, and there isn't an outlandish option among his reported picks.
Suns Aren't Promising To Move Durant To a Desired Team?
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Remember how we promised to get back to Durant not controlling his departure from the desert? Well, here we are.
The Suns haven't promised to deliver Durant to one of his preferred destinations, per NBA insider Marc Stein. They'd like to find a deal that works out for everyone, but their primary objective is maximizing their own return.
As it should be.
Buying a bit of good will with an elite talent certainly has its potential perks in a superstar-driven league. However, it doesn't trump the importance of the team working in its own best interest. Plus, this is the first real test for new general manager Brian Gregory, who inherited a team with the league's worst draft capital and an overall dearth of young, ascending talent.
Save for a Devin Booker trade—which the Suns swear isn't happening—this is Phoenix's only real chance to reset the roster. And while Durant's trade value is hardly at an all-time high (he'll be 37 in September and is set to become a free agent in 2026, it should remain plenty robust. He averaged a healthy 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocks per game this past season while shooting 52.7 percent overall and 43 percent from deep.
Even if Phoenix isn't getting a godfather offer for him, it can and should expect a substantial amount of assets. If those come from one of Durant's preferred teams, that's great, but don't expect the Suns to accept a lower return just to get him where he hopes to go.
Buy or Sell? Buy. Durant's contract status grants him some leverage, but if other suitors remain interested, the Suns can and should hear them out.
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Jabari Smith Jr. Has Fans in Phoenix?
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A few fanbases might disagree, but the Rockets look like the cleanest suitor for Durant. They have enough trade chips to get him without gutting their roster. They can realistically talk themselves into him being their missing piece. Their head coach has an established relationship with him. And their biggest deficiency happens to be the thing he does best.
It thus makes sense that Phoenix would have a familiarity with Houston's roster and a preference for certain players over others. A recent No. 3 pick has reportedly caught the attention of the Suns.
"Recently, forward Jabari Smith Jr.'s name has come up pertaining to the Suns' interest," The Athletic's Kelly Iko reported.
Smith seems like a reasonable target, assuming he isn't the primary focus. The the No. 3 pick in 2022 certainly qualifies as more than a sweetener, since there's a lot to like about his combination of age (22), upside, length, defense and outside shooting. He couldn't quite anchor a trade the way Alperen Şengün or Jalen Green would, though.
Smith projects to be a solid support starter, although nothing in his profile points to centerpiece status. However, he could still work in a Durant deal, provided Houston built an offer around Green or a rich package of picks and additional prospects (like, say, 2024 No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard).
Buy or Sell? Slight sell. The Suns probably like Smith, just not enough to make him the primary piece in a Durant deal.
Bulls, Heat Are Sign-and-Trade Suitors for Jonathan Kuminga?
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Significant flight risks are tough to spot in this year's free-agent crop, but Jonathan Kuminga might be the biggest exception to that. The seventh overall pick of the 2021 draft essentially spent the past four seasons trying and largely failing to land a substantial role with the Golden State Warriors.
They clearly have questions about his fit with Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, and head coach Steve Kerr has always appeared hesitant to entrust Kuminga with major minutes.
This cash-strapped market may not offer an alternative for Kuminga, although HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat "are two teams to monitor as potential sign-and-trade candidates." Scotto mentioned Nikola Vučević as a possible trade fit from Chicago and called Kuminga "a fallback option" for Miami if it can't land Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant.
While the Bulls and Heat could both use more scoring, they might prefer players with steadier outside shots and better passing vision than Kuminga.
It thus might be worth nothing that Scotto's report added that "the Warriors have also not ruled out the possibility of retaining Kuminga." That might have more to do with a lack of market than any change of heart about his fit with the franchise, though. Re-signing him now and trading him later might grant Golden State a wider net to find a replacement.
Buy or Sell? Sell. Kuminga seems like a secondary target (at best) for these teams, and they may not have the right pieces to get a sign-and-trade done anyway.
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