Former NBA Player Urges Grizzlies to Trade Ja Morant
Former NBA Player Urges Grizzlies to Trade Ja Morant originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday pulled off a trade that surprised the NBA. As the NBA Finals continued, the young Orlando Magic cracked open its championship window by acquiring guard Desmond Bane from the Grizzlies, in exchange for Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, four unprotected first-round picks and one pick swap.
Advertisement
The Bane trade signals that the Grizzlies are going in a different direction for the 2025-26 seasons. Following the in-season dismissal of longtime head coach Taylor Jenkins, Memphis reached the playoffs with a 48-34 record -- only to suffer a four-game sweep at the hands of the eventual Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder appear poised for long-term success in the West, while the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs could soon enter title windows themselves. Against this backdrop, ESPN's Jay Williams believes the time is now for Memphis to deal Ja Morant, its controversial franchise point guard.
"I saw Desmond Bane get traded for five first-round picks," the former NBA point guard Williams said Monday on "Get Up." "I wonder what the value for Ja Morant could be."
Advertisement
After a shoulder injury and a 25-game suspension limited him to nine games during the 2023-24 season, Morant guided the Grizzlies back to the playoffs this season while averaging 23.2 points and 7.3 assists per game. However, Morant played just 50 regular-season games; over the past three seasons, he has missed 126 of a possible 246 games.
"The best way to build a culture is not based upon unpredictability," Williams said of Morant's frequent absences.
Williams further cited Morant's lack of maturity -- including his incidents with firearms -- as a reason why the Grizzlies could opt to move Morant as he enters the final two years of his contract. And using the Bane return as a barometer, the Grizzlies could effectively reset their franchise by moving the two-time All-Star Morant.
"I think his value is still high," Williams said. "He is box office. I think there are franchises out there that would give up a boatload of assets for Ja Morant."
Advertisement
Related: Desmond Bane Has No Words in Immediate Reaction to Being Traded to Magic
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bucks' Giannis drops simple response to Stephen A. Smith's ‘underachiever' hot take
The post Bucks' Giannis drops simple response to Stephen A. Smith's 'underachiever' hot take appeared first on ClutchPoints. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the talk of the past two months, as many are still trying to figure out if he's going to request a trade or stay with the Milwaukee Bucks. While most of the conversation has been around that, another topic was recently brought up as Stephen A. Smith said he would describe Antetokounmpo as an underachiever if he were to not win another ring in his career. Smith's comments had some people fired, and it looks as though Antetokounmpo caught wind of what he said. On his Instagram, he posted a tweet that someone made, saying, 'Giannis went from selling sunglasses on a beach in Greece, to a multi-millionaire who won a championship without having to run off and create a super team. He has over-achieved his wildest dreams and anyone who thinks otherwise is ridiculous.' Antetokounmpo put two '100' emojis and a fire emoji above the comment, insinuating that he agrees with what the person was saying. It's hard to discredit what Antetokounmpo has done in his career, because outside of winning one championship, he also has multiple MVPs and a Defensive Player of the Year award. He's one of the best players in the league today, and nobody can take that away from him. After Smith said that he would describe Antetokounmpo as an underachiever if he didn't win another ring, he tried to explain his reasoning. 'He's one of the greatest players to ever play the game,' Smith said. 'Over the last four years, minimum 200 games, Giannis is second in the league with 30.4 points per game, fifth in the league with 11.7 rebounds per game. Nine All-NBA selections in his career, nine All-Star selections, and top-10 in MVP voting nine times. He has more of that than postseason series wins. That's unacceptable. 'You don't look at somebody that dominant, that fantastic, with that kind of fire in his belly to compete on a night-in, night-out basis, and all you have is one championship to show for it. He's got one playoff series win in the last four years. Not fault; he was hurt a couple of times.' Some of the stuff that Antetokounmpo has been through isn't his fault. Though he hasn't had playoff success in the past few years, it's hard not to see the situations he's been in as far as injuries. When he is healthy, Antetokounmpo leaves it all out on the floor. Related: Bobby Portis takes strong stance on Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo trade speculation Related: Jay Williams blasts Stephen A. Smith for ridiculous Bucks' Giannis take
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kevin Durant Faced Rejection From His Top NBA Trade Choice
Kevin Durant Faced Rejection From His Top NBA Trade Choice originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Saturday that Kevin Durant wants the Phoenix Suns to trade him to the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs or Houston Rockets. Advertisement However, the Suns can trade Durant anywhere since the future Hall of Famer doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract. Durant will play for his fifth team next season. The NBA legend has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and Suns. Durant won the 2014 MVP Award with the Thunder and back-to-back titles and Finals MVPs with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018. Since leaving the Warriors, Durant hasn't even gotten back to the conference finals. He's also been swept in the first round of the playoffs twice. Kevin Durant wanted to play for the Knicks. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Suns have had trade discussions with the Heat, Spurs and Rockets about a Durant trade. But according to Marc J. Spears of ESPN, Durant "wanted" to get traded to the New York Knicks. Advertisement The Knicks, though, were not interested in trading for the NBA icon. New York made the conference finals this year for the first time since 2000, losing to the Indiana Pacers in six games. Tom Thibodeau was fired as head coach, so the Knicks are looking for a new coach right now. Durant and Kyrie Irving chose to sign with the Nets in 2019 instead of the Knicks. Irving and Durant didn't have much success in Brooklyn, as the furthest they went in the playoffs was the second round in 2021. The Knicks made two blockbuster trades last year, acquiring Mikal Bridges from the Nets and Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves. While things can always change, it doesn't appear New York will trade for Durant. Related: Clippers Won't Include Key Player in Kevin Durant Trade Talks With Suns This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mets Announce Pete Alonso, Juan Soto News After Third Straight Loss
Mets Announce Pete Alonso, Juan Soto News After Third Straight Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Mets are looking to rebound from their first series sweep of the season after dropping the latest set against the Tampa Bay Rays. Despite two strong shutout performances from the pitching staff earlier in the week, New York struggled to maintain consistency, and the offense seemed out of sync at the plate. Advertisement Right fielder Juan Soto and first baseman Pete Alonso both cooled off during the series, combining for just three hits over the three games. Soto, in particular, struck out multiple times in key moments, and Alonso's power was noticeably absent. However, despite the weekend's struggles, both players have fueled New York's success in recent weeks. Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) celebrates with first baseman Pete Carchietta-Imagn Images On Monday, the Mets celebrated a shining moment: Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Juan Soto all emerged as frontrunners in the initial All-Star ballot returns. Lindor leads his respective position, but Alonso and Soto each trail at least one other player. The team took to social media to capture their excitement about the news: Advertisement "ALL-STAR BALLOT UPDATE Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Juan Soto are amongst the leaders for their positions!" the Mets announced on X. Throughout the 2025 season, Alonso has been elite. He's hit 17 home runs and leads the National League with 63 RBIs, and is on his way to potentially earning his fourth All-Star appearance. Soto has also shown flashes of his MVP-caliber form, reaching 13 home runs and 36 RBIs this campaign. With Monday off, the Mets will turn their sights to a big Tuesday matchup in Atlanta against the Braves. They'll look to regain form and recapture their offensive rhythm—leaning on their All-Star trio to lead the way. Advertisement Related: Mets Announce Brett Baty News After Loss to Rays Related: MLB Announces Francisco Lindor News After Mets' Third Straight Loss This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
