How Ja Morant's Trade Value Reportedly Is Viewed Across NBA After Grizzlies Suspension
As Ja Morant's relationship with the Memphis Grizzlies and first-year head coach Tuomas Iisalo has been put under a spotlight after the star point guard's postgame comments following a game last week, his trade value around the NBA is a hot topic of discussion.
Per ESPN's Tim Bontemps, Morant is viewed as a "borderline" top-10 point guard right now and "there aren't many teams around the league in need of" a starter at the position.
One assistant coach for a Western Conference team told Bontemps the Grizzlies are also in a difficult position if they wanted to trade Morant because he's incredibly popular with their fanbase and they don't attract free agents.
"He sells shoes, he sells tickets, and he wants to play in Memphis when no one wants to," the coach said. "So it makes for a really, really difficult situation."
Morant's status with the club became a focus early in the season after his comments following the Grizzlies' 117-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 31.
Those comments earned Morant a one-game suspension from the Grizzlies for conduct detrimental to the team.
Sam Amick of The Athletic reported on Wednesday that the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings were "monitoring" the situation between Morant and Memphis if he were to become available.
On paper, it would seem like the Grizzlies could get a significant return for Morant if they wanted to tear everything down and start over. He's a two-time All-Star who just turned 26 on Aug. 10 and has averaged at least 20 points and six assists per game in each of the previous five seasons.
Morant has missed a lot time in his career to injuries. He has never played more than 67 games in a season since entering the NBA in 2019. His three-point shot hasn't developed, and he's currently shooting just 14.0 percent from behind the arc on 5.4 attempts per game this season.
At his absolute best, Morant is one of the most dynamic athletes in the NBA who is capable of running with anyone in transition and finishing at the rim in spectacular fashion.
As Morant gets older and starts to lose that athleticism, it's fair to wonder what kind of player he is going to be if his shot continues to trend in the wrong direction.
