There’s been a wave of Ja Morant trade proposals floating around the internet lately, and frankly, they’re all bad — really bad — for the other teams involved. And that’s before you even consider the $40 million a year price tag or the constant off-court drama that follows him everywhere. I’m simply talking about from a talent perspective and how hard it would be to build around Morant.
The reality is simple: Morant isn’t the player people still want to believe he is. His game was always built on jaw-dropping athleticism, but that’s fading fast as he enters his physical decline at age 26. He’s an undersized 6’2″, 174-pound guard who’s never developed a reliable jumper — shooting just 31.2% from three for his career, and that’s worse than that over the last four seasons. Once the bounce goes, what’s left?
Yet somehow, analysts continue to float blockbuster trade ideas involving players like Trae Young, Tyler Herro, or Jalen Green — all of whom would be colossal mistakes for their respective franchises. Let’s break down why these hypothetical trades make no sense for anyone outside of Memphis.
Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young for Ja Morant
If you told me Atlanta traded Trae Young straight up for Morant, I’d assume the franchise had been hacked. Trae’s already a better shooter, playmaker, and more durable at this stage. Even if you want to reset your culture or avoid paying him, you don’t take on a declining, volatile guard who’s worse in nearly every measurable category. Atlanta gains nothing here — not cap space, not upside, not leadership. Just a more expensive, less efficient version of what they already have.
Phoenix Suns: Jalen Green and a First-Round Pick for Morant
This one is absurd. Phoenix shouldn’t give up any draft capital, let alone a player like Jalen Green who’s three years younger with far more upside at this point. If the Suns are desperate, fine — Morant’s a buy-low flyer at best. But in this version, they’re overpaying massively for a player whose prime is likely in the past. Green might be inconsistent, I don’t think he’s good either, but his ceiling an possibility still exists and is much cheaper at 25 million. Maybe it could be decent straight up for both if there was no draft capaital or a pick coming back to the Suns but to add a 1st round like I’ve seen on the internet is ridiculous for the salary, age/decline and baggage.
Miami Heat: Tyler Herro for Morant
Herro isn’t perfect, but at least he’s dependable and fits within Miami’s system that is looking good to start the year. Morant would be a disaster in that culture unless he completely reinvented himself — which, let’s be honest, isn’t happening. I have no clue why would would trade Herro for Morant. If you’re the Heat, why give up one of your few efficient perimeter scorers for someone who can’t shoot, doesn’t defend, and brings off-court headaches? It’s a lose-lose.
Sacramento Kings: Depth and Picks for Morant
This one is decent in theory, and the Kings might be desperate enough to talk themselves into it — but it still doesn’t actually make them better. They’d be paying for name value, not production.
If I’m Sacramento, I’d rather just keep Malik Monk, who costs less than half of what Morant makes and is already one of the pieces this offense is built around. He fits the locker room, the culture, and the spacing far better than Morant ever would — and you keep your first-round pick in the process.
Trading real assets for Morant would be the kind of short-sighted move that looks flashy on paper but sets the franchise back in practice.
The Timberwolves: The Only Semi-Logical Fits
Minnesota at least makes some sense on paper. Mike Conley is aging, and they could use more dynamism at the point. But even then, you’re taking a massive gamble that Morant can stay healthy, mature, and rediscover a game that’s clearly plateaued. If Memphis is trading him, it should be a pure salary dump or flyer — maybe something like:
Minnesota gets: Ja Morant
Memphis gets: Role players, expiring deals, or minimal draft capital
That’s it. No stars. No blue-chip prospects. Just a low-risk, high-variance bet for a team that needs a spark.
The Harsh Truth
Morant’s trade value today isn’t based on talent — it’s based on nostalgia. The 2022 version of Ja Morant isn’t walking through that door again. Players like this that don’t add a jumpshot or reinvent themselves only decline. What remains is a smaller guard with declining athleticism, subpar shooting, injury history, and one of the most expensive contracts in the league. You can maybe point to Russell Westbrook or Derrick Rose who did extend careers, but Westbrook is bigger at least, rebounds and plays like a maniac. Rose developed more of a three pointer in later years and was also a little bigger.
He’s not the kind of player you give up assets for; he’s the kind of player you take a chance on when the price drops to zero.
Until that happens, any team trading meaningful talent or picks for Morant is setting themselves up for disappointment — and possibly a long-term financial mistake.
The Grizzlies should be thrilled if anyone’s willing to take on the $40 million a year and the PR baggage. For everyone else, the only smart move is to wait until Memphis pays to get rid of him — not the other way around.
If Morant does move, expect it to be a salary-shedding trade for expiring contracts or a few end-of-rotation players. Anything more than that would be a massive overpay for a fading asset whose best days are already behind him.
