Memphis Grizzlies Long-Term Plan For Ja Morant Revealed

Heading into the 2026 NBA trade deadline, many expected the Memphis Grizzlies to be among the top sellers in the NBA, and in fact, they were. In a shock move, they drafted star big man Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz in exchange for three players and three first-round picks, and after the Desmond Bane deal in the summer, that gives them a wealth of picks moving forward.

However, the one move that they didn't make was dealing Ja Morant, despite all of the speculation that has surrounded the controversial point guard throughout the 2025/26 regular season thus far. The reason behind that is that not only were some teams not willing to give up a first-round pick for Morant, but some teams were even asking Memphis to attach a pick to him to accept a trade.

Clearly, that was never going to happen, but long-term, this still isn't a fit, with reports now revealing that Memphis are focused on dealing him in the summer instead.

Given that the team have now moved on from Dillon Brooks, Bane and JJJ, it makes sense to move Morant too and try build a new core moving forward, but given their potential as a group, it's safe to say that the whole core ended up as a major disappointment.

Ultimately, Morant once had the potential to be a superstar in the NBA, but with his struggling play and his controversies off the floor, all signs point to it being a matter of when, not if Morant is dealt by Memphis.