After the Memphis Grizzlies surprisingly traded Demond Bane to the Orlando Magic, many people were wondering what's next for the Grizz. ESPN's Jay Williams "highly, highly, highly consider" trading Ja Morant, noting that Bane was traded for five first-round picks. Williams wondered what value you can get for Ja and noted his lack of availability as a reason to trade him.
"I saw Desmond Bane get traded for five first-round picks. I wonder what the value for Ja Morant could be."@RealJayWIlliams believes the Grizzlies should "highly, highly, highly consider" trading Ja Morant 😯 pic.twitter.com/pDMBcWVgKT
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 16, 2025
It's worth wondering if the Grizzlies will enter a full rebuild after the Bane trade, and trading Ja would be explored in this scenario. However, this idea is short-sighted in many ways. For starters, Morant isn't coming off a great season, so his value likely wouldn't be super high. Additionally, just because the Grizzlies traded Bane doesn't mean they have to rebuild. Getting four first-round picks and a pick swap for a player of Bane's caliber is simply a no-brainer move. With Ja and Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies still have a solid core complemented by one of the deepest teams in the league.
Now isn't the right time to trade Ja Morant
ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported that the Grizzlies aren't looking to trade Morant and Jackson. Bontemps noted that clearing cap space to renegotiate a new contract with Jackson was a key factor in the Bane trade. As was the franchise's belief in young wing Jaylen Wells. Overall, all signs point to this being a retooling around Morant and Jackson rather than a complete teardown.
Despite a disappointing end to the season, Memphis was the No. 2 seed for the majority of the season. The upside of this core is still there. Perhaps next season will be a gap year for the Grizz, but the long-term future is clearly centered around Morant and Jackson.
Across 50 games this past season, Morant averaged 23.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists on 45.4/30.9/82.4 shooting splits. Notably, Morant's 23.2 points per game were the lowest since his second season. Right now, Morant likely wouldn't yield a crazy return package, given concerns about his availability and having somewhat of a down season. Especially as most contending teams have their point guard position solidified. Regardless, when he's 100% healthy, Morant's blend of scoring and playmaking makes him an elite guard.
If the Grizzlies get off to a slow start and are one of the worst teams in the West, then it could be time to discuss trading Ja. It's unclear how likely this scenario is, but in an ultra-competitive Western Conference, anything is possible. Nevertheless, if Ja is healthy and playing at an elite level, but the Grizzlies aren't very competitive, then it would be worth considering trading him.
In that scenario, Morant's trade value would be restored, and the Grizzlies would get a massive trade package in return. That's just a hypothetical scenario when it would make sense to trade Ja. However, now is clearly not the right time for that conversation.