Ja Morant’s future with the Memphis Grizzlies remains up in the air at the moment. A parting of ways between Morant and the Grizzlies is increasingly looking like a likely outcome as player and team continue to struggle in this 2025-26 season.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Sacramento Kings are one of two teams monitoring a situation that has been worsening ever since Morant fired shots at the Grizzlies’ coaches. The two-time All-Star doesn’t seem to be a happy camper, and a change in scenery could do him good.
With all this in mind, ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel has put together a three-team mock trade involving the Grizzlies, Kings, and Boston Celtics that sees Morant find a new home. Here’s what it looks like.
Proposed Trade Details
Sacramento Kings receive: Ja Morant, Baylor Scheierman
Memphis Grizzlies receive: Anfernee Simons, Malik Monk, Jordan Walsh, SAS 2027 1st-round pick (if 1-16, via SAC, else two 2027 2nd-round picks), SAC 2029 1st-round pick (top-3 protected), ORL/DET/MIL 2026 2nd-round pick (most favorable from BOS → MEM)
Boston Celtics receive: DeMar DeRozan, Devin Carter, SAC 2026 2nd-round pick
Let’s take a look at what this trade would mean for each of these teams.
The Kings Get Their Point Guard Of The Present And Future
The Kings were in point guard heaven at one point when they had both De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton among their ranks. The duo wouldn’t be together for too long, though, as they traded Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers in 2022 for Domantas Sabonis.
Fox and Sabonis were to be the core the Kings would build around, but the former decided he wanted to head out of town a few years later. He was going to walk in free agency in 2026, and that meant the team had little choice but to trade him to the San Antonio Spurs in February 2025.
In just a couple of years, the Kings had lost both Fox and Haliburton, a disastrous outcome. They scrambled to find a solution at the point guard spot in the summer and ended up with Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook. It would be a stretch to say the Kings are in point guard hell now, but this isn’t a great situation.
Morant would help solve this little problem. The 26-year-old is averaging 19.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game in 2025-26. Sure, Morant’s numbers aren’t looking great, but the hope would be that he’d rediscover the spark that saw him become an All-Star in a new location.
The Grizzlies Commence A Rebuild
The Grizzlies are not going to get a star in return for Morant, as his value has dropped significantly. With this trade, they are potentially getting two first-round picks and some quality role players who can be flipped for more draft assets.
The Grizzlies already shipped out Desmond Bane, who was once among their cornerstones, to the Orlando Magic in the summer and got four first-round picks in the deal. They’d be adding to that stockpile with this move.
What’s crystal clear by now is that the 4-7 Grizzlies aren’t going anywhere with this group. It’s time to reboot and start anew. They have some solid young pieces in Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, and Zach Edey, and can use those draft picks to put together a team that fits a future timeline.
This upcoming draft has some potential franchise players in Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa, and the Grizzlies would also be improving their chances of landing one of them with this move.
The Celtics Get A Fit For Their New Offense
If someone had suggested last season that the Celtics should acquire DeMar DeRozan, they’d have been laughed off. Joe Mazzulla’s team had been all about shooting threes, but that has changed a bit this season.
A league-leading 11.3% of the Celtics’ points this season have come from the mid-range. Mazzulla has changed course due to Jayson Tatum’s injury and the departures of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
If you are being forced into an offense that’s a bit more reliant on the mid-range shot, you could consider going after one of the best in the business in DeRozan. Yes, he is 36 years old, but he remains effective on the court.
DeRozan is averaging 20.8 points on 50% shooting from the field for the Kings and would improve the Celtics for this season. They are currently 5-6 in 2025-26 and could potentially make a serious push for an automatic playoff berth with this move.
Who Says No?
You can certainly put a spin on how this trade works well for each party. That said, the Celtics are probably the team that says no here. DeRozan doesn’t fit their timeline with Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White. Sure, he makes them better this season, but this isn’t a team that is going to contend in 2025-26.
The Celtics would be better off getting a younger piece than DeRozan, who can help them in the years to come. Even if he were a bit younger, you’d imagine Mazzulla would go back to his old ways in terms of the offense once Tatum is back. So, you need someone who can shoot the three well, and DeRozan certainly cannot.
