Ja Morant has been the face of the Memphis Grizzlies since 2019, but his future with the franchise is now in doubt. Morant took some shots at the Grizzlies’ coaching staff following a 117-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday and was later suspended for a game for conduct detrimental to the team.
Morant chose to pour some gasoline on the fire when he returned, stating he doesn’t feel the same joy playing basketball as he did before. You start wondering if a parting of ways between the two-time All-Star and the Grizzlies is now on the cards, and rumors are flying around.
As for where Morant might end up, NBA analyst Yossi Gozlan feels the Los Angeles Clippers should go after him. Here’s a mock trade that Gozlan put together, which sees the Clippers land the 26-year-old.
Proposed Trade Details
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Ja Morant, John Konchar
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, 2030 first-round pick
Let’s dive a bit deeper to see what this trade would mean for the Clippers and Grizzlies.
The Clippers Add Firepower Without Giving Up Key Pieces
The Clippers currently find themselves in the middle of the pack when it comes to offense. Their 115.4 offensive rating ranks 14th in the NBA, and they could do with some more firepower.
Morant is averaging 20.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game for the Grizzlies in 2025-26. The numbers aren’t as good as they once were, but Gozlan points out that he can provide an element to this Clippers offense that they lack in terms of driving to the paint.
Now, Morant hasn’t been attacking the paint as often as he once did, but his average of 10.6 points in the paint per game is better than any of the Clippers’ guards this season. He can help elevate this offense.
The Clippers have built this roster with the short-term in mind, and they need to do all they can to maximize their chances of winning now. Morant would certainly help in that regard.
As for John Konchar, well, he is pretty much a salary filler here. Konchar could, though, be a solid option off the bench with his rebounding and defense.
The Grizzlies Head To A Rebuild
The Grizzlies retooled their roster this offseason by trading away Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic. They got Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and four first-round picks for Bane.
Anthony is already off the team, so the Grizzlies effectively got Caldwell-Pope and draft picks. While they weren’t heading for a rebuild with that move, they would with this one, and one could argue they should.
The Grizzlies aren’t really going anywhere at present. They aren’t good enough to compete and aren’t bad enough to get great draft picks.
The Grizzlies would be hitting the reset button by trading Morant and would have one great draft pick in this mock trade. By the time 2030 comes around, the Clippers are unlikely to be all that good. Morant and Ivica Zubac would be pretty much all they have to work with, provided they don’t manage to land a top free agent at some point.
As for the players, John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic can be flipped to contenders for even more assets.
Collins is averaging 11.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in 2025-26 in a reserve role. Bogdanovic, meanwhile, has had a rough start as he is averaging 1.0 points per game at the moment, but he has shown over the years that he can give you solid production from that shooting guard spot.
Is This A Good Haul For The Grizzlies?
While you’d imagine the Clippers would be quite willing to do this deal, the question is, would the Grizzlies? This seems like an underwhelming haul for a player like Morant, but his stock has gone down significantly. NBA insiders state there is no robust trade market for the guard at the moment.
Morant has been involved in off-the-court controversies, most notably the gun scandal, and has struggled to stay healthy in recent years. He has never played 70 games in a season in his career and featured 50 times for the Grizzlies in 2024-25.
The Grizzlies are not going to get a massive package for Morant, but can they get a better one than what Gozlan is suggesting? Maybe, so this shouldn’t be a deal they go through with. A more desperate team could be willing to offer more draft picks or better players who can later be flipped for more valuable assets.
