Updated NBA Trade Rumors on Ja Morant, Trae Young, LaMelo Ball and Darius Garland
This year's NBA trade deadline could see a handful of point guards on the move.
Per NBA insider Jake Fischer, Memphis' Ja Morant, Atlanta's Trae Young, Charlotte's LaMelo Ball, Cleveland's Darius Garland and Los Angeles Clippers' James Harden "all are being monitored in various front offices" in case they are made available.
Morant has been subject to trade speculation since early on this season, when it became evident he was upset with how things were going in Memphis. He was suspended by the Grizzlies last month for comments he made about the coaching staff.
Upon returning from the suspension, he said he did not have joy playing basketball at the moment.
It's hard to gauge just how much trade value Morant has at this point. The two-time All-Star has proved to be a strong first option, but he hasn't been that version of himself this year, putting up 17.7 points and 7.5 assists. He also spent about a month off the court because of a calf injury.
Young has also found himself in trade rumors more this season than he has at any point in his career, and that speculation intensified during a stretch when the Hawks looked better without him on the court while he was injured.
Still, Atlanta reportedly isn't seriously considering trading away its starting point guard, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.
Young returned from injury last week and will look to get the Hawks back on track after a recent skid.
Ball, who reportedly has more trade value than both Morant and Young, has had a below-average start to the year, posting 19.4 points, 8.6 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game.
Ball's main flaw early on in his career has been his injury troubles, as he hasn't played more than 50 games since his second season in the league in 2021-22. Whether a team trades for him likely depends on whether they're willing to risk him consistently missing time.
The Cavs trading Garland this time last year would have been a major shock, but the circumstances have changed this season. Cleveland is 16-14 to start the year, appearing to be far from a championship contender.
The Cavaliers also have the league's highest payroll, and team owner Dan Gilbert likely wouldn't mind saving some money amid Cleveland's struggles.
While other teams might be interested in Harden, the Clippers might not be ready to part ways with him just yet. Fischer reported Tuesday that Los Angeles hasn't given any indication it wants to make Harden available.
