The Best 5 Ja Morant Landing Spots and Trade Ideas

This moment has felt inevitable for months (maybe even years), but on Friday, it became official.

ESPN's Shams Charania was first with the news that the Memphis Grizzlies are open to trading Ja Morant.

He later added that Memphis would want young players and picks in exchange for Ja or that it could still build around the star guard going forward.

Assuming they choose the former path, and even with all the baggage Morant may have (including a lengthy history of injuries and suspensions), there are a number of teams that should be interested in a 26-year-old two-time All-Star who averages 26.0 points in the playoffs.

The organizations that make the most sense, as well as trade packages that could get it done, can be found below.

5. Houston Rockets

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Ja Morant for Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., Josh Okogie and a top-10 protected 2032 first-round pick swap

Grizzlies fans probably need to brace themselves for trade packages that look a little underwhelming on their phone or computer screens.

Morant's value may not be as low as Trae Young's was, but it's at least in that range. He has a terrible time staying on the floor. He's clashed with his head coach this season. He has multiple suspensions for off-court incidents.

And, as if all that wasn't enough, Ja is averaging 19.0 points and shooting 40.1 percent from the field this season.

It's going to be very difficult for Memphis to extract multiple first-round picks out of anyone. It might be tough to even get a single unprotected pick.

So, this potential framework from the Houston Rockets would actually be a pretty big win for Memphis.

Jabari Smith Jr. is still just 22 years old. He has a lot of potential as a floor-spacer who can guard multiple positions. And a frontcourt combination with him and Jaren Jackson Jr. would bring a ton of dynamism.

Josh Okogie would probably slot right into the rotation as a defensive wing, but he could also be flipped elsewhere.

The biggest hurdle here is probably Fred VanVleet, who's hurt and has an implicit no-trade clause. If he doesn't want to go to Memphis, he can veto the deal. And without his money, it's tough to make a trade work under the current rules.

But if FVV could be sold on joining the Grizzlies, Morant could inch the Rockets a little closer to title contention. His slashing could draw defenders away from Kevin Durant on the perimeter. And just his ability to get shots on the rim could play into Houston's offensive rebounding prowess.

Yes, Morant's lack of three-point shooting could be a problem. Taking the ball out of Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson's hands could slow their development a bit. But this is a raw talent upgrade, even if it's also a bit of a gamble.

4. Milwaukee Bucks

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Ja Morant for Kyle Kuzma, Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Harris and a 2032 first-round pick swap

The Milwaukee Bucks can't offer the best trade package for Ja. And a Giannis Antetokounmpo-Morant pairing could be woefully short on outside shooting.

But the Bucks have seemingly been operating with a healthy dose of desperation to keep their superstar for years. And that desperation can lead to big swings (like the Damian Lillard trade or the Lillard waive-and-stretch).

On the court, the two stars would put loads of pressure on the rim, but that aforementioned lack of jump shooting would put pressure on the rest of the rotation. Fortunately, players like Myles Turner, A.J. Green and Ryan Rollins can be reasonably relied upon to come through.

For the Grizzlies, this deal doesn't have a young talent like Smith, but it gives them a little better draft asset than the Rockets package. Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Harris both have player options for next season, but the money on those is low. And Kyle Kuzma will be an expiring contract next season, too. Ultimately, this would be about more cap flexibility to build around JJJ, Zach Edey, Cam Spencer and the rest of Memphis' young(ish) core.

3. Sacramento Kings

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Ja Morant for DeMar DeRozan, Dennis Schröder and a top-10 protected 2031 first-round pick

Somehow, despite having two All-Star point guards over the last few years, the Sacramento Kings don't really have a starting-caliber 1 on the roster right now.

And while there's a very good argument to do the exact opposite of what this move would signal, this could be a good opportunity to buy low on a super-talented (though enigmatic) player.

Getting Ja without giving Zach LaVine up would give Sacramento a good inside-out combo. His cutting and slashing could work pretty well with Domantas Sabonis' high-post playmaking, too.

It's obviously too late for this move to push the Kings into the play-in mix now, but you can talk yourself into this group being competitive next season.

For Memphis, there's some increased flexibility here. DeMar DeRozan's contract isn't fully guaranteed for 2026-27 (he'll likely miss the incentives that would guarantee any more than $10 million). And Dennis Schröder's $14.1 million salary should be movable going forward.

This would mostly be about getting a pick that isn't a swap.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves

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Ja Morant for Naz Reid, Mike Conley, Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, a top-10 protected 2030 first-round pick swap and a top-5 protected 2032 first-round pick swap

This one looks like a pretty big haul for the Grizzlies, but Mike Conley is 38 and shooting 35.6 percent from the field, and neither of Rob Dillingham nor Leonard Miller can really crack the Minnesota Timberwolves' rotation.

This sort of comes down to Morant for Naz Reid and some far-flung pick swaps. And while this would impact the depth of the already-shallow Timberwolves, it would give them a pretty dynamic starting five.

Anthony Edwards' three-point shooting would be incredibly important in a lineup with Morant, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, but the amount of pressure that group could put on the paint could make life nightmarish for opposing defenses.

For the Grizzlies, though Dillingham and Miller have been underwhelming for Minnesota, there may still be some untapped potential there for the rebuild. A Conley homecoming would make for a nice story right before his imminent retirement. And while a Reid-JJJ frontcourt would be real light on rebounding, the shooting would be real tough for opponents to cover.

1. Miami Heat

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Ja Morant and a lottery-protected 2029 first-round pick for Tyler Herro

This feels like a classic "who says no?" or "which side would have to include a pick?" trade.

Morant probably has a little more raw talent, but both have struggled with injuries throughout their careers, and Herro's outside shooting makes him feel like a more modern player.

But between Norman Powell, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Andrew Wiggins, Miami is relatively well-off on the wing. Morant would bring an infusion of talent and star power at the point.

As for the Grizzlies, Herro (who turns 26 this month) isn't much older than Edey (23) or Cam Spencer (26 in April), who's already stepped into a bigger playmaking role during Morant's absences.

He boosts Memphis' shooting profile and gives it another secondary playmaker who can make life a little easier for up-and-comers like Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells.