Inside the NBA Trade Buzz: Ja Morant’s Rift in Memphis, Pelicans Eyeing Mathurin, and Lakers on the Hunt
Let’s start in Memphis, where the situation with Ja Morant is no longer simmering-it’s boiling over.
According to league sources, the tension between Morant and the Grizzlies didn’t just appear overnight. It’s been building, and it finally came to a head in late October.
That’s when Morant was hit with a one-game team suspension following a loss to the Lakers-a game that reportedly sparked a confrontation between Morant and head coach Tuomas Iisalo. The issue?
Leadership and effort. Iisalo questioned both, and Morant didn’t take that lightly.
His response, described as forceful, didn’t sit well with the organization.
Since then, the fallout has been real. The locker room reportedly split-some players backing Morant, others aligning with the coaching staff. And while Morant hasn’t formally requested a trade, he’s made it clear behind closed doors: he doesn’t see a path forward in Memphis after the suspension.
Now, the rest of the league is paying attention.
The Miami Heat are keeping tabs, and that’s not surprising. They’ve long been a team willing to pounce when a star becomes unsettled.
The Sacramento Kings are also monitoring the situation, though they’re reportedly only interested if the asking price drops. As of now, draft picks aren’t something the Kings are looking to part with.
This isn’t just about Morant’s talent-everyone knows what he brings to the court. It’s about whether a new environment can bring out the best in him again, and whether a franchise is willing to take the risk on a player who’s clearly at a crossroads.
Meanwhile, in New Orleans, the Pelicans are exploring ways to add more firepower to their young core. One name on their radar? Bennedict Mathurin.
League sources say the Pelicans are among several teams showing interest in the Pacers’ dynamic young wing. Mathurin’s blend of size, scoring, and upside makes him an intriguing fit for a team looking to make a leap in the Western Conference.
Indiana, for their part, has been doing some window shopping of their own. They’ve reportedly checked in on second-year center Yves Missi, a raw but promising big man with upside on both ends of the floor. While there’s no deal on the table yet, there’s potential for a framework that could involve both Mathurin and Missi, depending on how talks evolve.
Don’t expect anything imminent, but these are the kinds of exploratory conversations that often lay the groundwork for bigger moves as the trade deadline approaches.
And out in Los Angeles, the Lakers are in familiar territory: looking for ways to upgrade the roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
This time, the focus is on the wing position. The Lakers have made Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent available in trade talks, hoping to land a more impactful contributor on the perimeter. It’s no secret that L.A. has been searching for more consistency from its role players, and both Vanderbilt and Vincent have struggled to stay healthy or find rhythm this season.
The big question: what’s the market for a deal built around those players and a future first-round pick that’s way down the line? That’s what the Lakers are trying to find out. It’s a delicate balance-they want to improve now, but they’re also wary of mortgaging the future for a marginal upgrade.
As always, the Lakers are in the mix, but whether they can pull off something meaningful depends on how much other teams value what they’re offering.
From Memphis to New Orleans to Los Angeles, the NBA’s trade winds are starting to swirl. With the deadline creeping closer, expect more smoke-and eventually, some fire.