Miami Heat Unlikely To Pursue Ja Morant Despite Recent Speculation

Ja Morant has been a star in the NBA from the moment he was drafted No. 2 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies, with many seeing him as a potential future face of the entire NBA. However, being in Memphis, he hasn't taken that next leap to superstardom, and as of late, there's been plenty of tension between Morant and the only NBA team he's ever known so far.

That's led to plenty of trade speculation, with the belief being that he will be traded at some point before the 2026 trade deadline. The latest news has been linking Morant to the Miami Heat, but according to ESPN, the Heat's interest in the controversial point guard has been massively overstated, with the team instead having a major plan for free agency moving forward.

“They have been laser-focused on avoiding taking on money for the 27–28 offseason… It's highly unlikely the Heat would deviate from that plan to go after Morant.”

According to the report, the Heat are focused on the summer of 2027, when the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, and Nikola Jokic become free agents, and taking on Morant right now wouldn't be a positive for that game plan.

Simply put, Morant is not the player he once was, and given all the baggage and the money that would come along with acquiring him, it doesn't make sense for the Heat, and as of right now, they have very little interest in making a move for him.