The NBA handed down its Ja Morant suspension after he flashed a handgun on social media for the second time in three months. The Memphis Grizzlies star is now out for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season. After this latest incident, all options are on the table, including some blockbuster Ja Morant trades. If the Grizzlies do decide to go that route, here are three stars the team must target.

3. Scoot Henderson

A blockbuster Ja Morant trade would reset the Grizzlies franchise, and who better to restart the franchise with than a potential organization-changing point guard?

In most years (ones without Victor Wembanyama), Scoot Henderson of G League Ignite would be the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. He is an incredibly athletic and talented guard who can score and create chances for his teammates. Henderson is also uber-competitive and the consummate floor general.

Basically, Henderson has the chance to be Morant with a better head on his shoulders.

Memphis is still young enough that starting over with a rookie wouldn’t mean tearing the entire roster down. Henderson is just 19, but he’d still fit the timeline with players like Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, Zaire Williams, David Roddy, and the other Grizzlies youngsters.

This could mean trading Morant to the Charlotte Hornets who have the No. 2 pick, or if they take Brandon Miller, Memphis could send Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers for No. 3 and still get Henderson.

What is so intriguing about this trade is that Henderson could be Morant 2.0, which means the Grizzlies could look similar to the way they do now in a year or two. It’s up to Grizzlies fans whether they think that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

2. Jaylen Brown

These Ja Morant trades mean that the Grizzlies would lose an All-NBA player. So, why not target another All-NBA player in return?

Jaylen Brown is an excellent young player who is in line for a huge extension this offseason. The problem for the Boston Celtics is that it’s still not clear if Brown and Jayson Tatum are the best fit together in terms of creating a championship-winning duo.

Targeting Brown and getting a package back of Brown and Marcus Smart has to be something the Grizzlies consider. Adding Brown and Smart to the team with Jaren Jackson Jr. and the rest of the current roster would immediately create another “Grit and Grind” defense first team.

The big question here is if Brown can take his scoring up a notch and fill (at least most) of the void that Morant will leave. If he can, the Grizzlies might actually be a better overall team, especially in the playoffs.

Of all the potential blockbuster targets that Memphis may consider after the Ja Morant suspension, Jaylen Brown is not only the most realistic, but he may also be the best fit overall and the player who helps the Grizzlies lose the least in the 2023-24 NBA season.

1. Zion Williamson

Ja Morant and Zion Williamson will always be inextricably linked in their careers. The two immensely talented players were the top two picks in the 2019 NBA Draft, and their trajectories are constantly compared.

Also, they’ve both run into trouble in their current situations, and no two players in the league could use a change of scenery more than Williamson and Morant.

And while the Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans may just be swapping one headache for another, both Ja and Zion are interesting fits on the opposite team.

For the Pelicans, Morant can be the floor general that the team doesn’t have. A one-two punch of Morant and Brandon Ingram makes more sense on the court than Ingram and Williamson do. With the Grizzlies, Williamson wouldn’t have another wing scorer to share the ball with like he does now in New Orleans, and if he can stay healthy, the defense around him in Memphis will help him be a more productive player.

The plethora of Zion injuries is the biggest issue with bringing in the young star. But maybe coming to a new organization makes the big man more committed to physical fitness, and the injury concerns will cease.

No matter which stars the Grizzlies have in mind, after the 25-game Ja Morant suspension, the team must at least consider moving their best player on. It is not an easy decision to make, and obviously, this is not an ideal time to trade the PG, as he’ll miss more than a quarter of next season. Still, moving on from Morant may be the best decision for all involved.