Ja Morant, Darius Garland’s Top Trade Landing Spots After 2025 NBA Draft
If 2025 has taught us anything about the NBA, it's that there are very few untouchables in this league.
Luka Dončić, Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Durant, De'Aaron Fox and Desmond Bane are among the players to surface on the trade transaction log since the calendar flipped.
It makes sense, then, to wonder whether one or both of Ja Morant and Darius Garland might get caught up in the trade winds, too. Morant's Memphis Grizzlies have already made one massive move this offseason, and Garland's Cleveland Cavaliers might have motivation to consider that option following their second ouster from the conference semis in as many years.
Should they hit the trade market, these are the teams who might be interested.
Darius Garland
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Garland erased all memories of a disappointing, injury-impacted 2023-24 season by returning to All-Star form and playing a critical role in Cleveland's 64-win effort.
He paced the team with 6.7 assists (against 2.5 turnovers) and ranked second with 20.6 points, 2.8 three-pointers and 1.2 steals. He was one of only two players (along with nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving) to average 20-plus points while shooting at least 47 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and 87 percent at the free-throw line, per StatHead Basketball.
Garland is a certified star—and still only 25 years old—and yet, he might not be the ideal backcourt partner with Donovan Mitchell, since both are undersized, a bit ball-dominant and inconsistent on defense. Should the Cavs decide that makes Garland expendable, it'd be music to the ears of the following three teams.
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans seem primed for a shakeup, and perhaps a veteran point guard is where they'll look, since Dejounte Murray's first go-round in the Crescent City couldn't have gone much worse. New Orleans also happens to have the kind of rangy wing defenders Cleveland would seek out in a Garland swap.
If the Pelicans could get Garland and actually have a healthy season from Zion Williamson, they'd immediately have one of the league's top offensive tandems. They could work pick-and-roll magic together and would be a complementary fit even they weren't, since both are capable creators and ignitable finishers.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota's interest in Kevin Durant signaled the desire for a offensive co-star to better support Anthony Edwards. The Wolves could look to get that jolt from the lead guard spot, where 37-year-old Mike Conley is winding down and sophomore-to-be Rob Dillingham has yet to ramp up.
Garland could be close to a dream fit, since he's equally potent on or off the ball. That means he could scratch Minnesota's itch for non-Edwards scoring and creation without getting in his way. Garland is a good enough distributor to generate prime point-production chances for Edwards, too.
Miami Heat
The Heat didn't win the Durant sweepstakes, just like they haven't landed most of the stars connected to them in recent years. That means they almost surely haven't fixed their offensive issues, either.
Getting Garland might do the trick. If nothing else, he should ensure their movement out of the bottom-third and into the league's upper-half. The question, of course, is whether they'd give up too much ground defensively with a Garland-Tyler Herro backcourt to make it worth the wager. Still, Miami might be a star away from making noise in the wide-open Eastern Conference, and Garland is among the brightest on the realistically available wish list.
Ja Morant
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When the Grizzlies moved Bane out, the early world from Memphis was that Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. were staying put. Perhaps that's the plan, but what happens if someone blows away the Grizzlies with a trade offer? Or what if the Grizzlies are actually open to another significant subtraction (or two), but they know the art of negotiating well enough to understand it does them zero good to let that known?
Morant may not be someone Memphis wants to move, but he probably isn't an untouchable, either. Not when availability issues have limited him to just 120 appearances over the last three seasons combined.
When he plays, though, his talent remains both obvious and top-shelf quality. His numbers trended down a touch this past season, but he was still one of 10 players to average at least 23 points and seven assists. He'd generate a bit reaction if he ever made it to the trade market.
Sacramento Kings
Remember when Sacramento's backcourt rotation included both Tyrese Haliburton and De'Aaron Fox? Well, both have since moved on, and the Kings are still searching for a floor general to fill that void.
Morant is as dynamic as any player they'll find among realistically available lead guards, and that might be reason enough for a fervent pursuit—even with spacing concerns being clearly attached to a roster built around him and Domantas Sabonis.
Miami Heat
No, this isn't some autopiloted pick of just connecting Miami to any and every available star. Saying that, though, the Heat could really use a star to help them muscle their way into the East's elite tier, and they've been connected to Morant specifically in the recent past.
While there again would be spacing concerns behind pairing Morant with Bam Adebayo, the Heat might want to chase the talent and worry about logistical fits later (if needed). Blending Morant's downhill pressure with Tyler Herro's deep shooting could be a fun project for coach Erik Spoelstra to tackle, and some of the defensive concerns tied to that pairing could be mitigated by the presence of Adebayo behind them.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets aren't an obvious candidate to attempt an acceleration, but they do have the financial wiggle room and asset collection to go star-searching at any moment. Building what's essentially a blank-slate roster around Morant could have its appeal, particularly in a marquee market.
As explosive as Morant is, he needs certain things to thrive—spacing around him, defensive protection behind him and fleet-of-foot athletes willing to race out on the open floor alongside him. And since he's under contract for another three seasons, Brooklyn would have time to tailor its roster to his strengths and weaknesses. That is, if nothing else, a far more entertaining project to tackle then spending next season renting out cap space for draft assets and developing non-blue-chip prospects.
The Nets drafted Egor Denim and Nolan Traore as potential point guard options, but none have the upside of Morant when healthy.
