Grizzlies may struggle to trade disgruntled star

After Ja Morant's one-game suspension after publicly clashing with his head coach, the Memphis Grizzlies may consider trading their mercurial All-Star. The problem is finding a team that wants him.

On "The Hoop Collective With Brian Windhorst," ESPN's Tim MacMahon expressed skepticism that there would be a "robust market" if the Grizzlies decide to part ways with Morant.

Ja Morant hasn't performed like a max player recently

Morant won Most Improved Player in 2022 and made the All-Star team in 2022 and 2023, but suspensions and injuries limited him to 9 games in 2023-24. Morant played 50 out of 82 games last season, averaging 23.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists, along with a career-high 3.7 turnovers.

Some of that decline purportedly came from the Grizzlies' new motion offense, redesigned by former assistant coach Noah LaRoche. The new offense eschewed Morant's preferred pick-and-rolls and dribble handoffs in favor of an approach predicated on cutting and passing.

It seemed to pay off. The Grizzlies scored 121.7 points per game in 2024-25, second-best in the NBA, going from second-worst in three-point percentage to 11th.

But the Grizzlies fired LaRoche and head coach Taylor Jenkins with nine games to go in the season, a decision motivated by the team's desire to optimize the offense for Morant. Memphis finished the season 4-5, went 1-1 in the play-in tournament and were swept in the first round after Morant was injured in their third playoff game.

Ja Morant's long-term contract is not an asset

Morant has three years and $126.5M left on the Designated Rookie max contract he signed in July 2022. Since then, he has played 65 games — and been suspended for 34, a troubling ratio. Morant has been in trouble for flashing guns on social media videos, sued by a 17-year-old for assault, accused of threatening a mall cop and investigated for a strange incident where Morant's entourage clashed with the Indiana Pacers and shone a laser at the team bus.

If he were performing like an All-Star, maybe these off-court incidents wouldn't matter. But Morant has been a mediocre defensive player, a poor outside shooter (29.8 percent on three-pointers since signing his extension) and now he's clashing with his coach.

With the NBA's new restrictive rules limiting high payrolls, teams are hesitant to add high-priced players, particularly ones who aren't reliably available. Morant has been unlucky with injuries, but he's also an undersized guard (6-foot-2, 174 pounds) who plays a reckless, physical style.

The Grizzlies could find a team that thinks they can unlock Morant's potential or believes Morant could thrive with a change of scenery. But it's hard to imagine a big trade return for a player who simply hasn't been impactful for 2+ seasons. Memphis may be ready to move on from Morant, but they can't expect a trade to restock the team whenever they do.