Let's Be Real, Golden State Warriors Need This Ja Morant Trade
Ja Morant is reportedly up for grabs, and where he lands remains anyone's guess.
Even though he's a seriously, intensely loyal guy, he might be interested in the Miami Heat, who currently employ assistant coach Noah LaRoche, one of the minds behind last season's Memphis Grizzlies offense that Morant apparently loathed.
The list of prospective landing spots runs dry from here. So, what if we opened it up to include the…Golden State Warriors?
Jimmy Butler is sidelined for the rest of the year after suffering a torn right ACL against Miami on Monday night. This news is gutting for a Dubs squad that has won 12 of 16 and turned an offensive corner.
Now, they must choose from a trio of options at their disposal: swing for the fences despite Butler's absence; do nothing and consign themselves to a middle-of-the-pack-or-worse fate; or find the middle ground that imbues what's left of this season with a sense of intrigue, if not hope, while not mortgaging too much of the future to do so.
Rolling the dice on Morant represents that middle ground. He doesn't fit the Warriors' read-and-react tenets to a T, but he has more utility to this team in the wake of Butler's injury. Most importantly, it doesn't seem like he'll cost a ton.
Full Trade Details
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Golden State Warriors Receive: Ja Morant, Vincent Williams Jr.
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, 2026 first-round pick (lottery protection through 2027; obligation expires if not conveyed)
*Memphis must waive a player before processing this trade or rope in a third team to take on someone.
Why The Golden State Warriors Do It
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Creating a Stephen Curry-Ja Morant backcourt poses all sorts of defensive issues.
Those problems are exacerbated by the Jimmy Butler injury, as well as the Warriors shipping out two more of their wings to get this deal over the mathematical finish line.
Golden State shouldn't care.
Losing Butler vaults them to Defcon 1 on the "Western Conference Postseason Irrelevance" scale. If Morant can actualize even 70 percent of the player he is supposed to be, he helps replace the scoring, playmaking, rim pressure and foul-drawing the Warriors are now forfeiting.
Nabbing Vince Williams Jr. is a small-time coup. While he stands only 6'4", he defends with physicality that belies his size. The Grizzlies have not hesitated to roll him out versus wings and forwards like Kawhi Leonard, Paolo Banchero, Trey Murphy III, Kevin Durant, etc.
Williams' sub-30-percent clip from deep is lamentable, but he's knocking down 36.4 percent of his spot-up triples. The Warriors needn't be overly concerned with generating offense when they'll have both Curry and Morant anyway. Williams' team-friendly cheapness—he has a $2.5 million club option for next season—and defensive value are more important.
Papering off Butler's absence on the less-glamorous end still requires another trade. Leaning on Williams, De'Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II and Will Richard as perimeter lifelines leaves the Dubs at a glaring size disadvantage. But this is all true right now. Kuminga isn't playing, and Moody doesn't qualify as a larger wing.
Bagging Morant is the bigger deal. Despite having the league's best offense since before Christmas, Golden State's scoring attack is in shambles for the season without Steph on the floor. Morant can help the team tread water during those stretches, much like Butler was doing.
If Ja rehabs his value in any way, shape or form, the Dubs will be left with quite the trade asset on their hands heading into the offseason or next year. And if he doesn't, the cost of this gamble is low enough that no material harm to Golden State's present or future will have been done.
Why The Memphis Grizzlies Do It
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During a recent appearance on SiriusXM's Dunks and Deals, NBA insider Marc Stein said the Grizzlies want a young player and first-round pick as part of any Morant deal (h/t Bryan Fonseca of the New York Post).
Well, if we're being super technical, this is actually getting Memphis two young players and a first-round pick.
Moses Moody is only 23 and scalable to virtually every team. He doesn't need the ball on offense and can be moved around the perimeter-position spectrum at the defensive end. With the way he's played for much of this season, the two years and $25.9 million left on his contract are beyond reasonable.
Memphis can treat Jonathan Kuminga as a rest-of-the-season flier; an expiring contract whose club option it declines this summer; or salary ballast that helps facilitate other moves prior to Feb. 5 or over the summer.
Integrating a could-be mercenary figure into what becomes a rebuilding project without Ja Morant might get thorny, but the downside is nil on such a short-term commitment. There's always the chance a change of scenery and extra touches does Kuminga, still just 23 himself, a world of good.
Buddy Hield is filler to make the math work. Whether he stays past this season is up to the Grizzlies. He is guaranteed just $3 million next year and has a 2027-28 team option.
Golden State's first-round pick should convey by 2027. For as much as the Jimmy Butler injury guts the team's window, Stephen Curry remains a top-10 player and the Warriors, in all likelihood, won't sit totally idle while what's left of his career gets laid to lottery-bound waste.
Dan Favale is a National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.
