The Memphis Grizzlies have endured a lot this season. Injuries ruined any shot they had of competing this year, almost from the beginning. Zach Edey started things off by missing the first few weeks of the year. He wouldn’t be the last Grizzly to get hurt.
Ja Morant also suffered a myriad of injuries. Things got so bad that other teams were inquiring about his availability. The Milwaukee Bucks were one of them. They were looking to pair Morant with Giannis Antetokounmpo in an effort to save their season.
According to a recent report, the deal fell apart for one key reason.
GettyMemphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant dribbles the ball. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
The Memphis Grizzlies Almost Traded Ja Morant to the Bucks
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Grizzlies wanted Milwaukee to include Ryan Rollins in a deal for Morant. Memphis wanted a young point guard who could replace Morant. The Bucks declined to do that, believing that he is a piece of their future.
Instead of Morant leaving, he stayed with Memphis and is still on the roster. Morant has played just 20 games this season. Over the last three years, he has suited up for just 79 games, which hurts his marketability to other teams. That’s the biggest reason why Milwaukee didn’t include Rollins in a deal.
Morant will likely be a player that the Grizzlies shop around this offseason. It would be surprising if he were on the roster heading into next season. Injuries aren’t the only reason why. Morant has had multiple off-court issues that have soured Memphis on keeping him.
Getting a young player and some draft picks in return for Morant is Memphis’ top priority. It might not be reasonable for them to expect multiple first-round draft picks for him at this point. Still, they are going to try to get as much as they can for him.
GettyMemphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant drives the ball. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Memphis is in a Massive Rebuild Starting This Summer
After contending for some of the top seeds in the Western Conference over the last few years, the Grizzlies are now about to undertake a big rebuild. Morant is not the leader who can help them get back to the playoffs or contend for a title, so he needs to go.
Right now, Memphis sits 13th in the Western Conference standings. They are tied for having the sixth-best odds to land the number-one overall pick in the NBA Draft. Adding at least a top-four pick to the roster would help accelerate the rebuild. That’s what they are holding their hopes on.
Memphis will try to add players via free agency to help the rebuild, as well. Adding at least one first-round pick in either this year’s draft or next year’s draft in a trade involving Morant should be their goal. This year’s draft is supposed to be loaded from top to bottom.
The Grizzlies would feel a lot better landing one of the top four picks.
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