It feels like the dance between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Sacramento Kings over Ja Morant has been going on forever. Reportedly, this rumored smoke might actually be leading to a real fire as Sacramento may go "all-in" on Morant this offseason. What that could mean is a little concerning.
While he is a spectacularly athletic and skilled player, Morant's short career has been on a decline in recent years. Injuries, personal issues off the court, and general attitude problems have plagued him. It didn't help that the Grizzlies haphazardly dismantled the roster he had found some success with.
Around the 2026 NBA Trade Deadline, Memphis started making it rather clear that they wanted out of the Ja Morant business. Rumored trade partners included the Heat, the Timberwolves, and the Kings. Basically, any team that needed a reasonably good point guard has been attached to the trade.
At that point, nothing came to fruition. The rumors started popping up again after both the Grizzlies and the Kings missed the playoffs by a wide margin. Now, it's being reported that the Kings are potentially looking to go all-in to get Morant, which hopefully doesn't mean another bad trade.
The Kings need a point guard, just not Morant
Recent reports have indicated that the original proposed trade might be back on the table. Sacramento sends Zach LaVine to Memphis in exchange for Morant. The sticking point at the deadline was the first-round draft pick the Grizzlies also wanted from the Kings.
There are a few issues with this. First, LaVine has one year left on his costly contract at worst. Morant is getting paid roughly the same amount per year, but has two years left. He's also somehow less tradable than LaVine, meaning the Kings could be stuck in salary cap hell for an extra season.
Sacramento may also now be willing to give up that first-round pick to get Morant. Those picks are valuable to a rebuilding team. If the Kings are going to let one go, they have to get a better payoff than Morant. He's too temperamental, erratic, and injury-prone to be the core of a rebuild.
The Kings are better off drafting a new point guard this year while continuing to develop Devin Carter and Killian Hayes. And if the Grizzlies want someone like Maxime Raynaud or Dylan Cardwell as part of any Morant deal, shut that down immediately. They are more valuable to Sacramento in the long run.
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