Ja Morant is staying put in Memphis-for now.
Despite some rumblings ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, the Grizzlies didn’t find a deal worth pulling the trigger on. According to sources, teams kicked the tires on the two-time All-Star, but no one came to the table with a serious offer. That means Morant will finish out the season in Memphis, even as questions continue to swirl around his role and future with the franchise.
Among the teams that reportedly showed interest? The Miami Heat and Sacramento Kings.
Both were linked to Morant back in January, but neither made a move. Memphis, for its part, wasn’t just looking to offload him-they wanted a meaningful return: young talent and future draft capital.
That kind of package wasn’t easy to come by, especially for a player whose season has been anything but smooth.
The Heat, according to reports, ultimately decided not to pursue Morant, weighing multiple factors before stepping back. The Kings, meanwhile, opted to go in a different direction, completing a three-team trade last week that landed them De’Andre Hunter.
This all comes against the backdrop of a rocky season for Morant. He was suspended for one game in November for what the team called “conduct detrimental,” following a heated exchange with head coach Tuomas Iisalo.
That incident reportedly stemmed from a postgame confrontation after a loss to the Lakers on October 31, where Iisalo challenged Morant’s leadership and effort. Morant, who had a rough night shooting-just 3-for-14 from the field for eight points-was visibly frustrated afterward, telling reporters to “ask the coaching staff” when questioned about his performance.
Statistically, it’s been a down year for Morant. Through 20 starts, he’s averaging 19.5 points per game-his lowest output since his second season in 2020-21. And the shooting numbers tell an even grimmer story: just 41% from the field and 23.5% from deep, both career lows.
For now, Morant remains a Grizzly. But with trade talks already surfacing and his on-court production dipping, it’s fair to wonder what the long-term plan looks like in Memphis.
The front office clearly isn’t in a rush to move him unless the return justifies it. And Morant, still just 26, has time to recalibrate.
But as the Grizzlies look to retool and refocus, all eyes will be on how this chapter unfolds.