Grizzlies Plan To Trade Ja Morant In Offseason

League sources tell Vardon that the Grizzlies will revisit Morant trade talks during the 2026 offseason and intend to move him at that time.

Vardon’s report comes as no surprise. Memphis acquired a total of seven first-round picks and a first-round swap in trades involving Desmond Bane (last summer) and Jackson (on Tuesday), and has clearly pivoted to rebuilding around its younger core, led by Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells.

Still, it will be interesting to see how Memphis handles Morant in the next couple months. The 26-year-old is currently sidelined due to a sprained elbow, but that injury likely isn’t significant enough to end his season.

The Grizzlies – who have slipped out of the play-in picture at 20-29 – may be inclined to tank down the stretch in the hopes of maximizing their draft lottery position, which could mean holding out Morant for longer than they normally would. But they’ll have to weigh the merit of that approach against the possible benefits of reinserting the point guard into their lineup and giving him the opportunity to rebuild his trade value — at least to some extent.

Chris Mannix of SI.com wrote earlier this week that “availability, attitude and diminished production” are among the concerns potential suitors had about Morant, and it’s safe to assume his maximum-salary contract – which will pay him $87MM for the two seasons after this one – is another red flag. He wouldn’t be able to assuage all of those concerns with a strong finish to the season, but it might help improve offers from potential trade partners this summer.

Those offers were reportedly too underwhelming for the Grizzlies to seriously consider making a deal prior to Thursday’s deadline, despite the fact that they signaled they’d be willing to take on long-term salary if it came attached to stronger draft compensation.

The Heat, Kings, Bucks, and Timberwolves were linked to Morant this week. That list of possible suitors could grow – or at least change – this summer, depending on which direction certain teams take and which clubs become more motivated to shake up their rosters as a result of early postseason exits.