The vibes were high after the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Orlando Magic in London, an energized Ja Morant returning after a two-week absence and shredding their oft-praised defense with 20 points and 10 assists in the first half. Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo was among those to be conspicuously complimentary of Morant, the rift in their relationship the elephant in the room. For a moment, it seemed like the months of tension that preceded that moment would drift away — water under the bridge.
As it turns out, the Grizzlies front office hasn’t been skipping around in a botanical garden just because that may have been a watershed moment. In fact, they’re still likely to trade Morant. Though the 26-year-old wants to remain in Memphis, the circumstances contributing to his downward spiral are all but too hard to ignore.
“I do think that as of right now if you’re saying, does Ja stay [in Memphis] past the trade deadline? I would lean more towards no, based on what we know.” – Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal (h/t Locked on Grizzlies)
Ja Morant Still Likely To Be Traded, New Orleans Pelicans Lurk?
When news about the Grizzlies’ willingness to trade Morant broke, there were three teams named as potential destinations: the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings. Last week, the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans joined that list as well (h/t HoopsHype insider Michael Scotto).
However, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps has expressed doubt about Morant landing in Miami or Milwaukee. For myriad reasons, Sacramento is an unlikely home for him (h/t The Athletic’s Sam Amick). In a feature about the future of the Raptors franchise, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange made it quite clear that Morant won’t wind up in Toronto either.
If so, that leaves the Pelicans as the last team standing.
Is This The Right Trade For The Pelicans?
On multiple levels, Morant heading to New Orleans legitimately makes sense.
At 10-35, they have the worst record in the NBA and won’t even be able to get anything out of it after trading their 2026 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks. Though they have several fascinating and effective point guards, none of them puts on a show like ’12,’ a high-flying fastball and nifty dimer with the personality to match his game. Across his All-Star seasons, he averaged 26.8 points and 7.4 assists per game, routinely taking over in clutch time.
The alternative is sticking it out with rookie point guard Jeremiah Fears. A shifty ball-handler, Fears has flashed like a diamond in the sun. Yet, he’s still too raw as a decision-maker and playmaker. To that point, though he averages a respectable 13.9 points in 26.5 minutes per game, he shoots 43.4 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from 3. He’s also averaging just 3.2 assists per game, a modest number.
While Fears grows, Morant can take the lead. Frankly, taking that pressure off of Fears might help him develop more smoothly. His future will be even brighter if Morant’s a mature leader during his time in Louisiana, showing him ways to use his speed to his advantage and teaching him how to be a better floor general. That may be a lot to ask given Morant’s recent history. Nonetheless, miracles can be made out of a change of scenery.
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