Fresh Ja Morant Trade Rumors on His Value After Addressing Grizzlies Reports Before NBA Deadline
Ja Morant's impressive performance in Sunday's 126-109 win over the Orlando Magic may not influence the trade market for the star point guard, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Tim Bontemps.
MacMahon said at the 4:30 mark in the newest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast that trading Morant would be "extremely unpopular" in Memphis. Navigating the fallout presents a challenge for the front office.
Bontemps added that he believes "there's very limited interest" around the NBA in Morant and echoed his colleague's perspective about the PR hit when a smaller-market franchise trades its cornerstone star.
Morant had 24 points and 13 assists against the Magic, putting together one of his best showings so far.
Beyond that, the two-time All-Star reaffirmed his commitment to the Grizzlies as his future is the subject of steady rumors and speculation.
The 2025-26 season has been a tough one for Morant and the Grizzlies. The 26-year-old has averaged 19.3 points on just 40.7 percent shooting (23.5 percent from three). Those figures are well below his career numbers (22.4 PPG on 46.6 percent shooting and 31.2 percent from three).
Morant has contributed elsewhere, notably via his 7.8 assists per game. However, Memphis has struggled this year after making the postseason last season, posting an 18-23 record thus far, good for 10th in the Western Conference.
The former Murray State star has dealt with numerous injuries this season.
On Oct. 6, Morant sprained his left ankle. He was limited in the preseason but was good to go for the regular-season opener. On Nov. 11, Morant suffered a right ankle injury in a 133-120 loss at the New York Knicks. He missed one game, a 131-95 road loss to the Boston Celtics the following day.
Then came a calf issue this past month that sidelined him for six games.
Injuries hampered Morant's last couple seasons. He made 59 combined appearances between the previous two campaigns.
That track record has served to bring down his trade value a bit.
Teams almost never get an equal return when they deal away a marquee star. In the case of Morant, the Grizzlies are in an even tougher position because of how his stock has steadily declined.
Sunday's victory will have the team hopeful it can move in a positive direction with the 6'2" playmaker on the roster.
