3 NBA teams who should go all-in if Grizzlies put Ja Morant on trade block

The Memphis Grizzlies are second in the West at 36-18, emerging as a bonafide contender after the injury-fueled disappointment of last season. Jaren Jackson Jr. is enjoying his best campaign to date, Memphis hit big on both its 2024 draft picks, and Taylor Jenkins remains one of the very best (and more underrated) coaches in basketball.

Naturally, however, it's Ja Morant who demands the spotlight. He's showtime in every respect. Few players are more electric to watch. The slender 6-foot-2 guard is an absolute beast in the open court. There is seldom a proper answer to his speed, agility, and burst.

It has been a rocky season for Morant individually. He has dealt with fresh injuries and struggled to ascend to the lofty heights he reached a couple years ago. The numbers aren't bad — 20.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.4 assists on .447/.321/.810 splits in 28.8 minutes — but Morant is more limited than in years past. As such, folks are starting to question his future in Memphis.

Howard Beck gave an eye-opening quote in a recent episode of The Ringer NBA Show.

The 2025 NBA trade deadline will go down as one of the most shocking in recent memory. Luka Doncic going from Dallas to Los Angeles was a move nobody saw coming. It sure sounds like Morant could be the next star point guard in line for a trade. If the Grizzlies flame out and decide that Morant is not a sustainable piece of their future, Memphis has all the leverage. He's under contract through 2028, and at 25 years old, Morant should still conjure a robust trade market.

Here are a few potential landing spots.

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3. Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic rank dead-last in 3s, which is a problem for Morant. He needs a healthy offensive tempo and a spaced floor. That said, Orlando can look elsewhere for shooting. What the Magic also need is a true point guard to help set the table for Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Orlando's collection of malleable wings.

Morant consistently ranks near the top of the league in assists. He's a brilliant facilitator, weaponizing his quickness to collapse the defense and generate passing angles. Morant is a walking paint touch. He lives inside the arc, generating fissures in the defense with his outlier blend of athleticism and basketball IQ. Orlando would benefit from Morant's ability to create advantages and set the table.

Orlando already has a couple high-volume slashers in Wagner and Banchero, so Morant is more of a good thing. The Magic should be able to generate consistent offense off of all their rim pressure, whether it's a simple drive-and-kick to an open shooter or a more substantial flurry of ball movement to exploit a tilted defense.

The Magic need to change something. This season is slipping away fast. Morant could be the extra nudge this core needs to earnestly contend in the East.

2. New Orleans Pelicans

This season has turned into something of a mini-rebuild for the New Orleans Pelicans, but no roster with Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, and CJ McCollum is planning to sit in the lottery for long. The Pels will hope for better injury luck next season, especially with Zion. David Griffin has built a deep rotation, and with countless draft picks at his disposal, there's more than enough ammo to facilitate a trade for Morant.

There is a storybook quality to this. Zion and Morant were the first and second overall picks in the 2019 draft. They are also former high school teammates, so there's a longstanding familiarity.

Williamson and Morant are two of the NBA's most ferocious downhill scorers. Neither is kept out of the paint for long. The Pelicans should look to flip Dejounte Murray and picks to Memphis, load up on high-volume shooters elsewhere — Murphy, McCollum, and Jordan Hawkins are quite helpful on that front — and lean into the inherent speed advantage of pairing Zion with Morant. Get out and run, put two feet in the lane, and reap the benefits.

Murphy has been on a star trajectory of his own this season. McCollum can still fill it up. Yves Missi would love catching lobs from Morant. This roster is set up to blossom into a contender in fairly short order. If Morant can reach his peak again with the Pelicans, New Orleans becomes pretty scary.

1. Miami Heat

The dream destination for stars in disarray, of course Morant would benefit from a trade to the Miami Heat. Erik Spoelstra's dark magic tends to get the most out of his best players.

Miami has no intention of sitting idly after the Jimmy Butler trade. Pat Riley will be on the lookout for the next available All-Star. A couple years after whiffing on Damian Lillard, the Heat may finally get a franchise point guard in Morant.

It's fair to wonder about the perceived fit of Morant and Tyler Herro in the backcourt. The latter has emerged as an All-Star in his own right this season, elevating into a bonafide pick-and-roll creator while cleaning up his shot profile. Herro and Morant are both pretty bad defenders; neither offers much length or positional versatility. Even so, the Heat can swallow a few losses on defense in order to reap the benefits of Morant's offense.

Morant brings an immediate dynamism to any system. He gets to the rim at will. He's going to spoon-feed easy looks to Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware in the frontcourt. He's going to ease the burden on Herro and generate plenty of open 3s for the likes of Andrew Wiggins or Haywood Highsmith. The defensive concerns are real, but if there's any coach who can figure it out, it's Spo. He understands how to manipulate matchups and compensate for weaknesses better than most.

If the Heat can get a foundational All-Star in the middle of his prime, already locked up under contract for a few more years, it's hard to say no.