Ja Morant's Updated Landing Spots After Jaren Jackson Jr. Traded to Jazz from Grizzlies
A rebuild may now be in full swing for the Memphis Grizzlies.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported the team is trading two-time All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz.
Ja Morant could be the next to go, with the dynamic guard the subject of steady rumors for the last month. However, ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported that his sources "have been skeptical of general manager Zach Kleiman finding a deal" for Morant.
Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline could spur someone to act, be it an interested suitor stepping up to the plate or Memphis lowering its asking price. These three franchises are plausible candidates in that scenario.
Miami Heat
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NBA insider Jake Fischer reported during a Bleacher Report live stream that the Miami Heat have a level of interest in Morant but only for a "bargain deal." He drew a comparison to the Atlanta Hawks sending Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for pennies on the dollar.
Memphis is already 19-29 and three games back of the Portland Trail Blazers for the final Play-In Tournament spot. Sending Jackson to Utah is basically waving the white flag.
Tanking in the second half with Morant, who's well aware of the team's attempts to offload him, could make for a tricky dynamic.
The Grizzlies are getting three first-round picks as part of the return from the Jazz. Having replenished his draft capital further, Kleiman might be more willing to trade Morant at a loss and rip off the bandage for good.
Toronto Raptors
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On Jan. 15, Fischer reported the Toronto Raptors were the only team aside from Washington to have "serious interest" in Young. He added that they could be on the radar when it comes to Morant.
The Raptors rank 24th in made threes with 11.4 per game and sit 28th in three-point percentage (34.0).
From that standpoint, Morant is a bad fit. He has never been an elite shooter, and he has performed especially badly this year (23.5 percent on threes).
But Toronto has long struggled to attract big stars, and the 26-year-old remains a marquee name. The fact he's under contract for two more years is an important consideration as well.
Much like with the Heat, a Morant trade makes some sense for the Raptors if the Grizzlies are prepared to accept whatever firm offers are on the table.
Sacramento Kings
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Should the Sacramento Kings trade for Morant? Probably not. Is this something the Kings would realistically do? That's a different story.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported Morant "would likely be reluctant to sign a contract extension in Sacramento," and the team is aware of his mindset.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported in January the Kings "inquired about the price tag for Morant." However, they may be looking to get younger and build for the future rather than take on more big contracts for aging vets.
Perhaps this creates an avenue for Sacramento to move off of Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan. LaVine his free agency a year earlier than Morant, while DeRozan's $25.7 million salary for 2026-27 is only partially guaranteed. Either player would give Memphis better financial flexibility down the road.
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