The Toronto Raptors are still chasing the kind of move that changes the direction of an offseason, and Ja Morant has emerged as a name worth watching.
Toronto has already been tied to a few major swings, including Kawhi Leonard, LaMelo Ball and Jaylen Brown, as the front office looks for a trade that could push the team into true Eastern Conference contention. With Ball now off the board, Morant stands out as another possible fit - and one the Raptors have been connected to before.
His stock has taken a hit over the course of the 2025-26 season with the Memphis Grizzlies. Once considered one of the league’s premier point guards, Morant now finds himself in a far different place after a stretch defined by off-court issues, uneven production and injury concerns. Over the last three seasons, he has appeared in just 79 games.
The numbers from this past year tell the story as well. Morant averaged 19.5 points per game, a clear drop from the four seasons before that, when he was scoring 23 points or more each year. He also had trouble settling in under new head coach Tuomas Iisalo, and the result was what could be viewed as the most disappointing season of his career.
That downturn could also make him a realistic target for Toronto. If the Raptors are looking for a change-maker at a lower trade cost than Morant carried in the past, this may be the moment to strike.
Memphis, meanwhile, has reasons to keep moving. The Grizzlies are trying to reset around a younger core that includes No. 3 overall pick Cameron Boozer, and dealing Morant would help them begin that process. The team could also use the opportunity to clear Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the more than $21 million left on his expiring contract.
For Toronto, the appeal goes beyond adding an all-star talent. A Morant deal would also allow the Raptors to move off Jakob Poeltl’s contract, which has four years of team control remaining and is expected to total more than $100 million.
That part of the equation is crucial. Toronto may hesitate to make a move like this without a firm answer at center, but if another deal is already lined up or if the team is ready to give Collin Murray-Boyles the starting job, the path becomes much clearer.
The Grizzlies appear prepared to send Morant to the highest bidder, and the Raptors could use that opening to reshape both their roster and their financial outlook in one shot.
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What makes the situation so intriguing is how quickly opportunity can widen when a teams hierarchy changes. Memphis now has a clearer path to build around its No. 3 pick, and theres a real chance the offense will lean heavily on the rookie big man as the organization sorts out its next identity. The bigger question is how fast the Grizzlies turn those new minutes into something sustainable, because the answer could define more than just one young players first year. [Read more 🡒]