For the first time since Ja Morant became the face of Memphis basketball, the Grizzlies are entertaining conversations once thought to be out of the question.
Shams Charania’s report that Ja Morant, a 26-year-old two-time All-Star under contract through 2027–28, is suddenly no longer untouchable. And that alone tells you everything about where Memphis is emotionally and structurally.
Morant’s 2025–26 season has been uneven at best. He’s played just 18 games, averaging 19.0 points and 7.6 assists, but on career-worst efficiency: 40.1% from the field and 20.8% from three. He doesn’t look as explosive, his jumper isn’t falling and worst of all, he isn’t on good terms with the front office.
Since the start of 2023–24, Morant has appeared in 77 total regular-season games, lost to a mix of injuries and suspensions. The Grizzlies now face the hardest question a franchise can ask:
Do you keep believing, or do you pivot before belief becomes regret?
If Memphis does move him, the return will center on draft picks and young players, not stars. This isn’t a reload. It’s a reset.
And three teams stand out as the most realistic, and most dangerous, landing spots.
Milwaukee Bucks: Betting Giannis’ Prime on Chaos
Milwaukee’s clock is loud.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is still dominant, but Milwaukee has surrounded him with no clear 2nd option, no-one to facilitate and help Giannis when Milwaukee ranks outside of the top 10 defence and offense, Ja Morant changes that.
Even in a down year, Morant’s 7.6 assists would rank second on the Bucks, and his rim pressure would give Giannis the most dangerous transition partner of his career. Milwaukee already plays fast, Morant would turn pace into panic.
The risk is obvious. Morant’s shooting (20.8% from three) clashes with Milwaukee’s spacing needs. His injury history adds volatility to an already fragile title window.
But this is not a cautious franchise anymore. This is a desperate one.
Grade:
🦌 Bucks: B+ : terrifying upside, terrifying risk
🐻 Grizzlies: B : picks and youth, but not a king’s ransom
Minnesota Timberwolves: The Most Logical Basketball Fit
The Timberwolves are elite defensively, top two in defensive rating, but offensively inconsistent. Anthony Edwards carries the scoring load, yet Minnesota ranks near the bottom in assist percentage. Too often, possessions stall into isolation.
Morant fixes that.
Even at 80%, he bends defenses in ways few guards can. His downhill pressure would unlock easier looks for Edwards, relieve ball-handling stress, and create cleaner finishes for Rudy Gobert. Minnesota doesn’t need Morant to be Superman, they need him to be connective tissue.
The gamble is timeline-based. This Wolves core is ready now. Morant’s health makes that bet uncomfortable, but not reckless.
Grade:
🐺 Timberwolves: A- : elite fit if health stabilizes
🐻 Grizzlies: B+ : young talent plus future flexibility
Miami Heat: The Cultural Reset Button
Miami never chases stars quietly, they chase belief.
The Heat’s offense has been inconsistent, ranking in the bottom half of the league despite elite defensive structure. Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo need a dynamic initiator, not just scoring, but collapse creation.
Morant offers that. And perhaps more importantly, Miami offers something Morant has lacked: structure.
This would be the most emotional move of all three. Miami believes it can rehabilitate careers as well as bodies. But Ja Morant’s shooting struggles and injury volatility could strain a system that thrives on reliability.
Still, if Morant ever reclaims his peak, 24+ points, elite rim pressure, All-NBA confidence, Miami becomes terrifying overnight.
Grade:
🔥 Heat: B : culture fit, spacing questions
🐻 Grizzlies: A- : real assets and long-term clarity
What This Really Means
This isn’t about Ja Morant being “washed.”
It’s about timelines colliding.
Ja Morant is still 26.
Still explosive.
Still capable of changing playoff series.
But Memphis is no longer willing to wait for certainty.
Someone will bet on the upside.
Someone will absorb the risk.
And if Ja Morant ever finds himself again, the league will remember why this moment mattered.
