The availability of MVP winners Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden has dominated the coverage ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday. However, the Memphis Grizzlies are still open to trading All-Star point guard Ja Morant, but he might be complicating matters for the front office.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Morant ‘would likely be reluctant’ to sign a contract extension with the Sacramento Kings. The All-Star guard’s seeming lack of interest in a long-term future with the club is something the Kings are reportedly aware of.
Related: Hurdle In Sacramento Kings Trade Talks with Toronto Raptors
- Ja Morant contract (Spotrac): $42.166 million cap hit (2026-27), $44.886 million cap hit (2027-28), 15 percent trade kicker
NBA rumors in January indicated that while Sacramento has interest in acquiring Morant, it is conditional. Kings general manager Scott Perry does not want to give up significant draft capital for the All-Star guard, namely unprotected first-round picks.
Furthermore, it has never been clear just how much genuine interest the Kings have in acquiring Morant. While he is only 26 years old, injuries seem to have deprived him of some of the explosive athleticism that once led many to believe he could become one of the faces of the NBA.
Related: Sacramento Kings Explored Odd DeMar DeRozan Trade
- Ja Morant stats (2025-26): 19.5 PPG, 8.1 APG, 3.3 RPG, 1 SPG, 41% FG, 23.5% 3PT, .048 WS/48
To that point, Morant is in the midst of a career-worst season. He has only played in 20 games, with his Win Shares per 48 Minutes (.048) and True Shooting Percentage (52.1) at all-time lows. After averaging 26.8 points, 7.4 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game from 2021 to 2023, Morant has played in just 79 games over the last three years and averaged 22.5 points per game while shooting 29 percent from the perimeter.
To make matters worse for Memphis, the field of suitors for a Morant trade is shrinking. The Washington Wizards used their cap space to acquire All-Star point guard Trae Young, with that return hurting Morant’s trade value. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat are all-in on Antetokounmpo, while the Toronto Raptors are after Domantas Sabonis.
All of this leads to a reasonable conclusion: Memphis and Morant will be stuck with one another into the offseason. Even when the summer arrives and bigger dominoes fall, neither the Grizzlies nor the All-Star guard may get the outcome they want.
