Ja Morant Rumors

In Memphis, Ja Morant was once the superstar whose uncertain future we analyzed at every turn. And then, somewhere along the line, the noise around him went quiet. Yet league sources say the Grizzlies are hopeful that Morant will be some team’s Plan B when the dust settles on Antetokounmpo’s situation. The Heat, in particular, have long been known to have serious interest in the 26-year-old, two-time All-Star. The thinking, it seems, is that Miami’s potential package might reset the market that has otherwise been extremely soft for Morant.

New York Times

Sam Amick on Ja Morant: "The only two teams I have heard and I will pick one of them is New Orleans and Sacramento. I will probably push it the New Orleans way."

YouTube

Lou Williams: I’m going to throw some names out there and you give me your guess on where they'll be next year. All right? Sam Amick: Yes, sir. Williams: Let's start with Ja Morant. Amick: Ja Morant, I mean, the only two teams I've heard and I'll pick one of them is New Orleans and Sacramento, so I'll probably push it to New Orleans way. Chandler Parsons: I'm going to throw Minnesota out there just for fun. Chandler Parsons: I'm going to throw Minnesota out there just for fun. Amick: Yeah, that one's in there, too. Good call, Chandler.

YouTube

I've been told by various sources that — in addition to the LA Clippers' Kawhi Leonard and Memphis' Ja Morant — Wizards point guard Trae Young has emerged as another "big fish" backup option for the Miami Heat in the event that Boston, Portland or some other team manages to outbid Pat Riley and Co. in the trade chase for Antetokounmpo.

marcstein.substack.com

Gerald Bouquet: Seeing the Ja Morant-to-Phoenix talk heating up again. Already shot this one down a few weeks back, but a source reiterated today that the Suns are not interested in trading for Morant

bsky.app

Any rookie or 'welcome to the NBA' moments for you? VJ Edgecombe: When I was a primary defender for Ja Morant, he had 40... Yeah, I say that, I saw like that move of James Harden. You'd be like, 'Man, I won't foul him. If he does that, I won't foul him.' I fell for that, like he put my hand right in the cookie jar. So yeah, just stuff like that. You got me. I told my teammates before the game, I'm like, 'I won't get caught with that.' Go right there. Beep. Foul.

HoopsHype

As for Domantas Sabonis ... The Kings' former All-Star center is another name, behind Antetokounmpo and Memphis' Ja Morant, that league executives are projecting to be made available once again as part of this summer's trade landscape. Sacramento is known to be looking to shed some significant salary if it can this offseason and seems likely to field more interest in Sabonis than other veterans.

marcstein.substack.com

The Miami Heat could consider pivoting to pursuit of another star player should they fail to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman said in a Wednesday appearance on 104.3 WQAM. Winderman said he feels the Heat are "primed to make a deal" due to an abundance of young players including Nikola Jovic, Pelle Larsson and Kasparas Jakucionis. "Honestly, if they get a signal it's not going to be Giannis, I think they explore Kawhi [Leonard]. I think they explore Ja [Morant]," Winderman said. "You can't get stale, especially in this market."

Bleacher Report

Mark Jones: On Ja’s IG story…

bsky.app

The dream of a decade-plus of production for a franchise cornerstone also doesn't materialize very often. On average, top-five picks from 2000 through 2019 lasted 5.1 seasons with their original team, with 56% lasting until their fifth year (and their second contract) and 44% leaving before then. Only 6% played at least 10 seasons with their initial team. (Tatum will bump that figure to 7% next season.) And for now, only five of the 100 top-five picks in that period are still with the team that drafted them: Tatum and Brown in Boston, Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, Zion Williamson in New Orleans and Ja Morant in Memphis.

ESPN

Lauren L. Williams: Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is here at the Dream vs. Wings game.

Twitter

Davide Fumagalli: Ja Morant remembers Brandon Clarke

Twitter

Tim MacMahon: “I can just say the lottery results will have no impact on the approach moving forward with Ja Morant. They’re going to try to find a home for Ja Morant regardless of where they ended up in the lottery.”

YouTube

It didn't take long for an agent on the ground in Chicago to suggest to me that Memphis could potentially look to trade down from No. 3 as part of deal that ships out Morant, but I find such a scenario almost certainly too drastic. If anything Grizzlies president Zach Kleiman has a history of trading up and/or into the draft. Don't forget that he just did so last June, swapping picks with Portland to be able to select Cedric Coward at No. 11 overall.

marcstein.substack.com