The Memphis Grizzlies have been dealing with an unhappy Ja Morant for most of this season. A lot of it seems to stem from the fact that he is butting heads with the new head coach, Tuomas Iisalo. Morant doesn’t seem happy in his role.
Morant has already been suspended once this season for conduct detrimental to the team. He has missed eight of the last nine games due to injury. Morant’s numbers are also down across the board, as he is posting some of the worst numbers of his career.
A wild trade proposal from Bleacher Report has the Grizzlies swapping Morant out for superstar guard James Harden, along with some much-needed draft compensation.
GettyJames Harden dribbles the ball. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Trade Proposal Sees Grizzlies Move On From Ja Morant
Here is the full trade proposal:
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Ja Morant
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: James Harden, Brook Lopez, 2030 first-round pick, 2031 first-round swap, 2032 first-round pick
Trading Morant would be the end of an era and an acknowledgement that he can’t lead the team consistently. While he’s still just 26 years old, he can’t be relied on to be the leader of the team. Bringing Harden in would at least bring in a stabilizing force from that perspective.
Adding Brook Lopez also gets a veteran leader in the locker room. Lopez would be able to back up Zach Edey and give them another stretch five. Lopez is also still a solid shot-blocker, although he has slowed down this year from that standpoint.
The real prize for the Grizzlies is the three first-round picks that they would receive. Two of them are unprotected, with a third being a swap. While no one knows what the Clippers will look like in four years, they are one of the oldest teams in the NBA right now.
GettyJa Morant drives to the basket. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The Grizzlies Might Get Calls About Ja Morant
Memphis is likely going to get calls about Morant’s availability. The key for them is not selling too low on him. He is the face of the franchise, and he is wildly popular with the young fans in Memphis. Trading him would be a massive decision.
If they do decide to move on from Morant, they need to make a decision to either rebuild immediately or try to compete right away. In this trade scenario, the Grizzlies would be trying to win with Harden on the roster. The team might not be able to, but that’s a different matter.
Right now, the Grizzlies have the sixth-worst offense in basketball. Adding Harden would immediately help those numbers go up. If the Grizzlies want to go younger, they should be able to get a young player who can help replace Morant.
Regardless, Memphis is going to be getting calls from teams all over the league about their interest in moving him. They just need to wait for the right price in order to make the move to ship out the face of the franchise.
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