New Ja Morant Trade Rumors on Pelicans' Stance as Wolves Reject Pursuit After Missing Out on Giannis

Even though the trade market for Ja Morant seemed like it would kick into gear now that Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to be moved to the Miami Heat, the Memphis Grizzlies could have some trouble finding a match for the two-time All-Star.

Per NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the New Orleans Pelicans have "no plans" to pursue Morant in part because they drafted Jeremiah Fears with the No. 7 overall pick last year with the plan to make him their long-term point guard.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, who had been mentioned as a destination for Antetokounmpo, are another team not expected to be in the mix for Morant, per The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype mentioned the Sacramento Kings' past interest:

"With the Kings projected to take a point guard with the No. 7 pick in the NBA Draft, the chances of the franchise pursuing Morant going forward are unlikely, HoopsHype has learned. This past season, the Kings were willing to acquire Morant if they were incentivized, but Memphis was uninterested in giving up draft compensation to move Morant, a two-time All-Star."

That said, Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor reported Tuesday that Mortant "remains likely to get traded" even though there's no clear landing spot at the moment.

It has felt for some time like the Grizzlies would struggle to move Morant because of his contract and issues staying on the court. The 26-year-old is guaranteed $87 million over the next two seasons.

Morant has only appeared in 79 games since the start of the 2023-24 season. There has also been a noticeable downturn in his performance during that span.

Last season saw Morant have the worst field-goal percentage (41.0) and three-point percentage (23.5) of his career. His scoring average has dropped in each of the past four seasons after hitting a high point of 27.4 points per game in 2021-22.

Speaking to ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks in December, a Western Conference scout suggested Morant was already losing some of his athleticism.

"Has Ja already lost his pop?" the scout asked. "When is the last time he put his chin above the rim?"

When you add all of these things together, it's not hard to figure out why the Grizzlies might struggle to get anything of significant value for Morant if they trade him this offseason.

Another factor that hurts Memphis' negotiating leverage is the abundance of point guards in the 2026 draft. Mikel Brown Jr., Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff Jr. and Kingston Flemings are all projected to be top-10 picks by B/R's Jonathan Wasserman.

If the price to acquire Morant gets so low, there could be a surprise suitor that emerges. The Grizzlies have already gone all-in on rebuilding by trading Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the past 12 months.

Those deals have put the Grizzlies in position to have up to eight first-round draft picks between 2026 and 2030, so they don't necessarily need a haul for Morant to be in a good position for the future.