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Former NBA Player Urges Grizzlies to Trade Ja Morant

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jeremy Beren | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 11:53 AM ET

The Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday pulled off a trade that surprised the NBA. As the NBA Finals continued, the young Orlando Magic cracked open its championship window by acquiring guard Desmond Bane from the Grizzlies, in exchange for Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, four unprotected first-round picks and one pick swap.

The Bane trade signals that the Grizzlies are going in a different direction for the 2025-26 seasons. Following the in-season dismissal of longtime head coach Taylor Jenkins, Memphis reached the playoffs with a 48-34 record -- only to suffer a four-game sweep at the hands of the eventual Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder appear poised for long-term success in the West, while the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs could soon enter title windows themselves. Against this backdrop, ESPN's Jay Williams believes the time is now for Memphis to deal Ja Morant, its controversial franchise point guard.

"I saw Desmond Bane get traded for five first-round picks. I wonder what the value for Ja Morant could be."@RealJayWIlliams believes the Grizzlies should "highly, highly, highly consider" trading Ja Morant pic.twitter.com/pDMBcWVgKT
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 16, 2025

"I saw Desmond Bane get traded for five first-round picks," the former NBA point guard Williams said Monday on "Get Up." "I wonder what the value for Ja Morant could be."

After a shoulder injury and a 25-game suspension limited him to nine games during the 2023-24 season, Morant guided the Grizzlies back to the playoffs this season while averaging 23.2 points and 7.3 assists per game. However, Morant played just 50 regular-season games; over the past three seasons, he has missed 126 of a possible 246 games.

"The best way to build a culture is not based upon unpredictability," Williams said of Morant's frequent absences.

Williams further cited Morant's lack of maturity -- including his incidents with firearms -- as a reason why the Grizzlies could opt to move Morant as he enters the final two years of his contract. And using the Bane return as a barometer, the Grizzlies could effectively reset their franchise by moving the two-time All-Star Morant.

"I think his value is still high," Williams said. "He is box office. I think there are franchises out there that would give up a boatload of assets for Ja Morant."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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