With Trae Young already off the board, Ja Morant is the next star guard to headline the trade market. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on January 9 that the Memphis Grizzlies are entertaining offers for the athletic guard ahead of next month’s trade deadline.
Ja Morant available in trade talks
Morant’s name surfacing as a trade candidate so soon after Young’s move isn’t coincidental. Like the Hawks with Young, the Grizzlies have actually been worse with Morant on the floor this season, going 6–12 in games he’s played compared to 10–9 without him.
And like Young, Morant has battled injuries, which have contributed to a noticeable dip in production. He’s averaging just 19.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 7.6 assists while shooting 40.1 percent from the field and an alarming 20.8 percent from three-point range.
Like Atlanta, Memphis appears ready to move on from Morant. Once an All-Star and seemingly untouchable, he’s reached a point where he no longer meaningfully impacts winning and could benefit from a change of scenery.
Volatile trade value makes Morant a risky target
With the Grizzlies now fielding offers, it’s fair to assume Morant’s trade value isn’t especially high, particularly in light of what Young was just moved for. Even so, that doesn’t mean a team like the Chicago Bulls should follow the Wizards’ lead and trade for a once highly sought-after guard.
Morant is an exciting player who once finished seventh in MVP voting, but he requires a carefully constructed supporting cast to thrive. The 6-foot-2 point guard is almost unstoppable downhill, yet he’s never been a reliable shooter and is limited defensively by his size. At 26, he’s a career 31.0 percent three-point shooter and ranks at the very bottom of qualified players in effective field goal percentage this season. While his defense is roughly average, likely thanks to his athleticism, he benefits from being paired with bigger guards to help shoulder the defensive load.
Considering the Bulls are already loaded with guards and lack an optimal defensive ecosystem, Morant’s fit in Chicago would likely be average at best. Re-signing Josh Giddey to a four-year deal this offseason effectively ruled out adding another ball-dominant, non-floor-spacing guard. While Giddey is shooting a career-high 38.6 percent from three this season, he’s not a prolific perimeter shooter. He prefers attacking the basket, averaging the fifth-most drives per game among qualified players.
Giddey has shared the floor with score-first guards before, such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City and now Coby White in Chicago. While it’s possible he could adjust again, Giddey’s recent strides have come while shouldering a larger offensive load. White, meanwhile, is fully capable of playing off the ball—he’s a career 36.7 percent three-point shooter on high-volume attempts.
Could the Bulls land Ja Morant in a trade?
Then comes the talent card: if Morant is the better player and might come at a bargain, why not pull the trigger on a trade? And while they’re at it, why not include fellow guard White, who’s on an expiring contract anyway?
A trade sending Coby White and Zach Collins for Morant could make financial sense. Memphis would get a flyer on White, whose downhill attacking style resembles Morant’s—though he’s not as explosive, he is a much better shooter. Collins brings an expiring contract and adds some much-needed physicality to the Grizzlies’ thin frontcourt. Meanwhile, Memphis moves on from the final 2.5 years of Morant’s contract. Not a bad scenario for the Grizzlies.
However, it’s far from an ideal scenario for Chicago. Even though sending White and Collins would be a low-risk move (both are on expiring contracts and might not return), Morant wouldn’t be a flyer like the outgoing players would be in Memphis. The Bulls would be committed to him for two more seasons beyond this one. If a Giddey–Morant pairing doesn’t mesh, Chicago would face either a difficult re-trade or being stuck with the duo.
While acquiring Morant might be relatively straightforward, that doesn’t mean the Bulls should take the bait. Despite his talent, Chicago doesn’t offer the right ecosystem for him to thrive. He’s also highly unreliable, averaging only 51.2 games per season before this year. In this case, resisting the easiest potential move may be the smartest decision.