The Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly open to trade offers for Ja Morant, in accordance to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Multiple groups have an interest, per Charania, and the Grizzlies are reportedly in search of draft picks and younger gamers in return.
Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor highlighted Miami, Minnesota, and Sacramento as potential trade matches. Despite being open to transferring Morant, the workforce can be keen to preserve the 26-year-old level guard.
The willingness to transfer Morant, who was as soon as considered as a franchise participant, comes on the heels of the Atlanta Hawks trading Trae Young to the Wizards in latest days and the Dallas Mavericks moving Luka Dončić for Anthony Davis last season.
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Morant is below contract with the Grizzlies by the 2027–28 season. He is eligible to signal a three-year, $178 million extension this summer season.
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In latest seasons, Morant’s largest difficulty has been staying on the courtroom. This season, he has performed in simply 19 video games and has missed the final three with a right calf contusion. Morant has already been dominated out for Friday’s sport towards the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Morant additionally missed time earlier this season with calf and ankle accidents and served a one-game suspension. In his sixth season, he has not performed greater than 65 video games in a season since his rookie yr.
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During the 2023–24 season, Morant appeared in solely 9 video games after serving a 25-game suspension to begin the yr and later suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. When he does play, Morant stays productive, averaging 19 factors, 7.6 assists, and three.2 rebounds per sport.
The 16–21 Grizzlies are contemplating a number of approaches to constructing their roster. One choice is constructing round 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr., who’s averaging 18.5 factors, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per sport this season.
The workforce additionally plans to construct round its younger gamers, who’ve stepped up in Morant’s absence. 2025 first-round choose Cendric Coward is averaging 13.7 factors, 6.6 rebounds, and a couple of.9 assists this season.
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Second-year gamers Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells, and Cam Spencer are additionally every averaging over 12 factors per sport. Edey final performed on December 7 after suffering an ankle injury.
This Grizzlies workforce has been open to making adjustments over the past yr. Last season, the Grizzlies fired head coach Taylor Jenkins and promoted assistant coach Tuomas Iisalo simply 9 video games earlier than the playoffs. Jenkins spent six seasons with the franchise earlier than the 2 sides parted methods.
In the offseason, the workforce traded Desmond Bane to acquire Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks, and a future pick swap after Bane signed a max rookie extension with the workforce in 2023. Bane had spent his first 5 seasons with the Grizzlies.
This breaking information story will likely be up to date.