Ja Morant’s days with the Memphis Grizzlies seem numbered. For the usual star hunters down in South Florida, that could be an opportunity to pick up an All-Star-caliber guard.
The Miami Heat are among several teams with reported interest in Morant.
On Tuesday, several NBA insiders reminded the league of what kind of market Morant has. It doesn’t seem crowded, but the Heat seem to be the most competitive out of the bunch so far.
The Latest on the Miami Heat’s Ja Morant Pursuit
“This is potentially the beginning of Ja Morant’s exit in Memphis,” Shams Charania said on ESPN this week. “From my understanding Miami, Sacramento multiple other teams have a level of interest”
NBA reporter Rachel Nichols added to the Morant-Miami idea as well, suggesting that the interest there is mutual.
“I know [Ja Morant] wants to go down [to Miami] from what I’ve heard,” Nichols stated.
The Miami Heat are currently placed eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 20-19 record. They are one game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the midst of a three-game losing streak.
What Would a Ja Morant Deal Cost Miami?
Late last week, a panel of ESPN NBA insiders kicked around some projected packages for Morant. In Miami’s case, they could land Morant in a two-for-one deal, picking up Morant, while sending out Simone Fontecchio and the All-Star shooter, Tyler Herro.
“Replacing Herro with Morant would increase variance for Miami, as the Grizzlies point guard comes with a lower floor but higher ceiling than Herro. It’s difficult to imagine Herro ever being one of the top 10 players in the league, as Morant was in 2021-22.”
Both Herro and Morant are out of the All-Star conversation currently. As injuries have affected both players, they are in the midst of down years. The Heat are 3-6 with Herro on the floor.
As for Morant and the Grizzlies, Memphis is not only struggling as a whole this year, but Morant voiced his frustrations with his coaches earlier this season. His public comments, which led to an early suspension, suggested that we might’ve been seeing the beginning of the end for Morant in Memphis.
Last week, it was revealed that the Grizzlies aren’t in a trade-or-bust situation with Morant. They would be willing to hold onto him if there aren’t any desirable deals on the table.
The Heat might be able to call with the Herro-Fontecchio offer, but it seems unlikely the Grizzlies would be comfortable with that. While they get a former All-Star in Herro, who is 26, there isn’t any draft capital attached.
Keep an eye on the Miami Heat as a potential destination for Morant. If the asking price in Memphis changes, there might be an opportunity for the Heat to add more “offensive upside,” as the ESPN report suggests.
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