Ja Morant Reportedly Linked to Rockets Trade by NBA Execs, Grizzlies Not Shopping Star

Perhaps the Memphis Grizzlies will eventually trade Ja Morant this season. And perhaps such a deal will involve the Houston Rockets.

But fans will reportedly have to be patient if that is going to happen.

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Thursday that even though some NBA executives "have pinpointed Houston as a potential trade suitor for the 26-year-old" in part because of the need for a point guard after Fred VanVleet's injury, "word is that the Rockets are in a holding pattern" and prefer to wait for a larger sample size this season before making a notable move.

What's more, Fischer reported "there has yet to be a credible murmur from the Grizzlies' side to suggest that they would even entertain the idea of trying to trade their runaway most popular player. Not at this juncture."

That Houston would want to be patient isn't exactly surprising given how early it is in the season. It has also won five straight and seems to be establishing a rhythm even without the sidelined VanVleet.

For as talented as Morant is, adding such a ball-dominant playmaker would dramatically change the look of the offense even if he has proven to be a willing and capable facilitator throughout his career. 

Rockets-Grizzlies Full Highlights

01:31

By waiting until later into the season, the front office and coaching staff can evaluate if the Rockets truly need such a significant roster shift to compete in the daunting Western Conference. If they decide they do, there may still be a Morant trade waiting for them since all indications are the Grizzlies aren't in a hurry to trade him.

"Nobody's doing seismic, monumental things before 20, 25 games have been played," a player agent told Fischer.

Still, Morant has generated plenty of headlines in the early going this season.

After Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in which he scored eight points on 3-of-14 shooting, he told reporters "go ask the coaching staff" when asked what went wrong. When pressed on how things could have been different, he said, "according to them, probably don't play me. That's basically what the message was after."

The Grizzlies suspended him for one game for conduct detrimental to the team, and then he told Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, "no" when asked if he was feeling his typical joy on the basketball court after he did return to the lineup.

At his best, Morant is still one of the top playmaking guards in the league who can take over games. However, there are questions surrounding his future with the organization given the start to this season and the reality he was limited to nine games in 2023-24 and 50 games in 2024-25 due to multiple suspensions and injuries.

A trade to a contender such as the Rockets could be what he needs to rediscover his form, but that potential move is nothing more than early speculation at this point of the season.