New Ja Morant Trade Rumors Reveal Grizzlies' 'Hope' amid Giannis, Heat, Kings Buzz

As most of the NBA's attention is on what will happen with Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Memphis Grizzlies are keeping an eye on the teams that don't land the two-time MVP.

Per The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Grizzlies are "hopeful" that Ja Morant will be the Plan B for a team that misses out on Antetokounmpo.

Amick specifically cited the Miami Heat as a team that has had "serious interest" in Morant and they could offer a potential package that would "reset" an otherwise soft market for the 26-year-old.

The Sacramento Kings were also mentioned as a potential landing spot, though Amick noted they would seek "additional draft assets" from the Grizzlies to take on Morant's contract.

Morant's trade value would seem to be incredibly low due to of his remaining contract and lack of playing time over the past three seasons.

The two-time All-Star has appeared in just 79 games since the start of the 2023-24 season. His performance has been trending in the wrong direction since receiving down-ballot MVP votes in 2022 and '23.

Last season saw Morant record his lowest scoring average (19.5 points per game) since his rookie year. He shot a career-low 41.0 percent overall and 23.5 percent from three.

When you combine that with Morant being owed $87 million over the next two seasons, finding a trade partner could prove to be difficult for the Grizzlies.

The Heat's entire focus right now is going to be on Antetokounmpo until his situation gets resolved. There have been some suggestions that Miami and Milwaukee will strike a deal at some point before the first round of the draft on Tuesday.

Sacramento's interest in Morant makes sense from a roster standpoint. Devin Carter is currently the only point guard under contract to the Kings for next season.

It would be a big bet for a Kings franchise that doesn't have a lot of long-term pillars right now. Morant will only turn 27 on Aug. 10, so there is some upside to bet on if they could get Memphis to throw in something to sweeten the deal from their side.