The Memphis Grizzlies are entertaining offers to potentially move two-time All-Star Ja Morant ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, sources told ESPN.
Multiple teams are pursuing Morant in trade talks, and rival executives believe the Grizzlies would prioritize draft picks and young players in return, sources said. This is the first time the Grizzlies have engaged other teams in trades for Morant, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 draft.
Morant, 26, is under contract with the Grizzlies through the 2027-28 season. He is eligible to sign up to a three-year, $178 million extension this summer. He’s averaging 19 points and 7.6 assists in 28.3 minutes per game this season, while shooting a career-low 40.1% from the field and 20.8% from 3-point range.
Morant has played in only 18 games this season because of injuries and a one-game suspension stemming from a postgame exchange with coach Tuomas Iisalo in November. He played just 59 games over the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons because of two suspensions for incidents with guns, along with various injuries.
Morant is one of eight players in NBA history to average 22 points and seven assists per game. LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, James Harden, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Cade Cunningham being the others.
Memphis is considering multiple paths forward amid the emergence of several promising young players such as Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer, including building around them and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. The Grizzlies also remain open to continue on with Morant as a focal part of their retool.
The Grizzlies, who traded Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic last offseason for four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round swap, have a treasure chest of assets, with a total of nine first-round picks and six second-rounders moving forward. They have their first-rounder in each of the next seven drafts.
The Grizzlies currently have the 10th-best lottery odds ahead of a highly anticipated NBA draft in June.
