Could the Nets trade for Grizzlies' Ja Morant after Desmond Bane deal?
Could the Nets trade for Grizzlies' Ja Morant after Desmond Bane deal?
The Brooklyn Nets are in the middle of a 2025 NBA offseason in which they have a sizable amount of ammunition to make moves happen across the league. While Brooklyn seems content to let its current rebuild play out through the draft, they are also reportedly open to trading for stars like Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. What about Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant?
"But more star trades are not expected. Sources told ESPN that the Grizzlies are not looking to deal either of their two remaining franchise cornerstones," ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported on Sunday concerning Morant and Grizzlies center Jaren Jackson Jr. After getting swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis was considered one of the teams looking for change, especially after firing head coach Taylor Jenkins prior to the playoffs.
"Memphis handing the team to coach Tuomas Lisalo -- who wants to play a fast-paced system with tons of pick-and-roll and 3-point shooting -- is designed to maximize what Morant can do," Bontemps continued. While Bontemps' report confirms that the Grizzlies intend to move forward with Morant as part of the core, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on Sunday (h/t to Bleacher Report's Zach Bachar) that teams will test that commitment.
ESPN's Tim MacMahon said on "The Hoop Collective" podcast that Morant is still considered the face of the franchise for Memphis, but time will tell if the Grizzlies will feel that way for the long term. MacMahon said towards the end of the 2024-25 regular season that there was chatter about Morant being available this summer so for all anyone knows, Morant could still be had for the right price.
Morant, 25, is coming off a 2024-25 season in which he averaged 23.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game while shooting 45.4% from the field and 30.9% from three-point land. While that is considered a down season based on what Morant did from 2021 to 2023, he still has the kind of ability that can raise the floor of a Nets team that will likely be in the lottery again.
Morant has three years and nearly $127 million left on his current contract, but Morant could be the point guard of the future that Brooklyn has been looking for since Kyrie Irving was playing at Barclays Center. There is no indication of what the Grizzlies would want to let Morant go, but the Nets have plenty of cap space this summer along with nine tradeable first-round picks as of this writing.
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