How Close Was Ja Morant to Being Traded at Deadline?

Now that the NBA trade deadline has come and gone, it’s time to start weeding through all the NBA trade rumors to see what was actually real and what was just smoke.

One of the players whose name was mentioned in a lot of trade rumors over the deadline was Ja Morant. The Grizzlies ended up holding onto Morant and instead traded his teammate, Jaren Jackson Jr. Still, that indicated to the league that the Grizzlies may be entering a rebuild, meaning Morant could be on the move again this summer.

Marc Stein of The Stein Line recently reported on which teams showed real interest in Morant and could take another stab at trading for him this summer.

“Sources say Sacramento only ever showed modest interest. I'm told Miami, too, only inquired about Morant with the idea of acquiring him in a deal similar to Washington's asset-light acquisition of Trae Young. And the Heat, sources say, were not actively pursuing Morant in the days leading up to the deadline because Antetokounmpo had become their primary target…One scenario that has to be filed away — for all the justified questions about fit — is the prospect of Milwaukee trading for Morant. Numerous teams came away from the deadline believing that the Bucks' interest in Morant was genuine ... whether that was to install him as their eventual successor to Antetokounmpo as Face of the Franchise or because they believe they could actually make a Giannis-and-Ja pairing work.”

If the Bucks can acquire Morant at a price similar to what Washington paid for Trae Young or what the Lakers gave up for Anthony Davis, they should absolutely pursue him this summer. Even if Giannis Antetokounmpo eventually leaves, Morant could step in as the leader to guide the franchise into its next era. And if adding Morant helps convince Giannis to stay long-term, that would be even better.