When Could Ja Morant Be Traded? NBA Insider Dishes on Latest Rumors, Grizzlies Buzz

Ja Morant doesn't seem to be particularly happy with the Memphis Grizzlies at the moment. Don't expect a divorce anytime soon, however.

"I have not heard that Morant is available," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said during a Thursday appearance on The Rich Eisen Show (12:18 mark). "I don't know everything—I wouldn't say I know everything that's going on—but I have not heard he's available. The discussions that I have all day, every day about transactions—is it something people are thinking could happen? What would the market look like?—I have heard that. I will just tell you that Ja is having a terrible season. His shooting numbers and his production have fallen off a cliff. Now, that seems to be because he's not happy with his situation, but he's already coming off several years in a row where he's had either major off-court problems or injuries. ... The thing that worries executives about him, his interior scoring, is going down. This is a guy who is one of the most explosive athletes I've ever seen, who became a superstar because of his ability to explode to the basket. And there are all these indicators that are showing he's not doing that anymore following the injuries."

Windhorst also said that Morant's trade value isn't great at the moment and said that in conversations with executives around the NBA, the belief is that are only roughly seven or eight teams that might be in need of an upgrade at the point guard position. That number shrinks when you consider which teams might want to upgrade at point guard with Morant specifically, given his waning ability to score near the basket and some of the off-court stuff from the past, and becomes even lower when considering which teams might have the sort of trade package the Grizzlies would want to receive.

Morant, 26, is averaging just 18.9 points, 8.1 assists and 1.1 steals this season, shooting 35.2 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from three. For his career he's averaged 22.5 points per contest and shot 46.5 percent from the field and 31 percent from three, so he's having a rough campaign compared to past standards.

Morant may not be happy in Memphis at the moment, but it doesn't sound as though he has enough of a trade market to make a move likely. It will remain an intriguing storyline between now and February's trade deadline, however.