Rumors surrounding Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies have heated up, leading to speculation around the NBA about whether the team will ultimately part ways with their All-Star point guard.
Since the start of the 2025-26 season, a level of unrest has existed between Morant and first-year head coach Tuomas Iisalo. This tension that had been brewing as a result of some of Iisalo's lineup and offensive decisions boiled over during Memphis' first NBA Cup game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Halloween.
After leading by 14 points at halftime, Iisalo singled out Morant at halftime, challenging the team's star to be a better leader and ignite energy into the group. Iisalo pointing the finger at Morant did not sit well with the 26-year-old, leading to his lack of enthusiasm for the rest of the game.
The Grizzlies went on to lose 117-112 to the Lakers, leading to another heated discussion between the head coach and player in the locker room.
While the direct quotes of this locker room squabble between Iisalo and Morant were not shared verbatim with ClutchPoints, multiple sources say Iisalo singled Morant out for his lack of effort and leadership. Voices were raised during this postgame locker room session, and it ended with Morant essentially telling Iisalo that the constant substitutions were not working and they were the reason for everyone's lack of enthusiasm in the second half.
The coaches left the locker room, and multiple players approached Morant to share similar sentiments on the coaching philosophy early this season, sources said. Memphis has yet to win a game in the week since tensions reached their boiling point in the Grizzlies' locker room, and matters have not been resolved in the slightest.
Since this incident, Morant served a one-game suspension for “conduct deemed detrimental to the team,” and the star point guard has publicly stated that he doesn't have the same level of joy he once did playing for the Grizzlies earlier in his career.
However, the Grizzlies defeated the Dallas Mavericks 118-104 in their second NBA Cup game on Friday, and Morant actually engaged with Iisalo on the sideline. Has everyone in the Grizzlies' locker room put this issue behind them, or is this all a false facade that will lead to Morant's eventual departure?
There are several avenues that exist if Morant were to hit the trade block, and this intriguing three-team trade idea could raise some eyebrows for the Sacramento Kings and Boston Celtics as well.
Kings land Ja Morant, Celtics get DeMar DeRozan
Memphis Grizzlies receive: G Anfernee Simons, G Malik Monk, F 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: F DeMar DeRozan, G Devin Carter, SAC 2026 2nd-round pick
Sacramento Kings receive: G Ja Morant, G Baylor Scheierman
Any hypothetical scenario involving Ja Morant being traded from the Grizzlies would likely see multiple teams coming together to make such a deal work. This is not only because of financial restrictions that come into play with Morant, who is making just about $40 million this season, but also because the Grizzlies will need to find immediate value to replace the star guard.
In this scenario with the Kings and Celtics, Morant finds himself staying in the Western Conference; only this time, he would pair up with Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis in Sacramento to create a fast-paced team that can punish opponents in transition.
While Sabonis may not be the most athletic center, he thrived next to a speedster in De'Aaron Fox, and the rest of the Kings' roster is built to run: Dennis Schroder, Russell Westbrook, Keegan Murray, and Nique Clifford.
Even Baylor Scheierman, who the Kings would get as a throw-in to make this deal work financially for the Celtics, adds value as a 25-year-old who can space the floor, provide shooting depth, and be another spark of energy as a do-it-all type of talent like Clifford.
To get Morant, the Kings would easily be able to work with the salaries of DeMar DeRozan ($24.75 million) and Malik Monk ($18.8 million). DeRozan's time in Sacramento appears to be nearing its end, given his age and contract, and the Kings attempted to move Monk multiple times this offseason.
Even though Sacramento may deny such rumors, the multiple teams they personally called to express interest in moving Monk say differently. The majority is likely telling the truth on this matter, and so it's easy to believe this will be Monk's final season with the team.
Of course, then there is Devin Carter, who has been the odd man out with the new regime that took over the Kings' front office. Signing Westbrook was a signal that this new group doesn't believe in Carter, the 13th pick from the 2024 NBA Draft, and so including him in a deal for Morant would be no problem for GM Scott Perry.
Finally, that brings us to the Celtics.
Brad Stevens was aggressive when moving Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday this offseason, and both of these moves were made for two reasons. The first was to cut the organization's overall costs with Jayson Tatum being out indefinitely, and the other was to regather assets to make moves at a later time.
Going out and moving Anfernee Simons, who the team got in exchange for Holiday, and some small salaries for DeRozan and Carter plays right into this philosophy. Carter offers potential as a two-way guard with a similar build to that of White, and both DeRozan's skills and his contract play right into what Stevens wants.
Again, this is a hypothetical scenario, but there are definitely a lot of green flags to consider for all three teams involved, starting with the Grizzlies.
Trading Morant allows Grizzlies to start fresh
Has the damage already been done in Memphis? This is the question many around the league are asking, as Morant's verbal battle in the locker room with first-year coach Tuomas Iisalo was not a good look for the organization whatsoever.
Morant has had his fair share of controversies through the years, and this is yet another reason for Memphis to consider altering the future plans with him. Jaren Jackson Jr. is locked in for the long term, and after trading Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies signaled that they were set to build around their two stars for many years to come.
Although Morant has not explicitly said he doesn't want to play in Memphis, could it be that he simply doesn't believe in Iisalo's abilities to lead this team to that next step?
So many questions surround the Grizzlies, and the easiest answer to all of this is to make Morant available in trade talks, something GM Zach Kleiman and the organization have not signaled they will do.
However, when you look at this through a hypothetical lens, the return Memphis could get in a deal with Boston and Sacramento is advantageous. The Grizzlies got a slew of draft picks from Orlando when they traded Bane this past offseason, and they can build on their draft capital with picks from the Kings.
While one of these picks would be unprotected in 2029, the other comes by way of the San Antonio Spurs, and it would be protected 1-16. The other half of this pick was already traded by the Kings to the Oklahoma City Thunder when they acquired Clifford in the draft.
Whether or not the Grizzlies would be comfortable accepting this protected Spurs pick, knowing it could easily turn into two second-round picks in 2027, given San Antonio's fast start to the 2025-26 season, is the big question here.
From a player perspective, Simons and Monk give the Grizzlies cap flexibility entering 2026, as well as two dynamic scorers to pair with Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr. when they return from their injuries. Memphis could really use the extra scoring help, as its depth has been challenged.
Looking ahead, Simons would come off the books for $27.6 million entering next summer, or he could be flipped to another team as an extension of this trade to return more assets to Memphis. The same can be said about Monk, assuming there is a team that would be interested in him at the trade deadline.
Overall, there are options, primarily from a financial perspective, that benefit the Grizzlies in this Morant trade scenario.
Celtics take no-risk swing with DeRozan
What do the Celtics really have to lose in this scenario? Oh, that's right — they can't lose.
Even though Boston still has high playoff expectations and aspirations in a wide-open Eastern Conference, this is a team that simply cannot compete at the highest level without Jayson Tatum. While he wants to return this season and continues to signal that he will by the end of the season, it's really hard to see this happen with the current trajectory of the franchise.
Without Tatum, the Celtics have been left with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard as their only reliable offensive talents. Any extra production Joe Mazzulla receives is a bonus, as the Celtics simply aren't as scary offensively without Tatum.
That is why Mazzulla has changed his system to one that focuses on high-percentage shots, some of which come in the mid-range area, rather than taking as many threes as humanly possible. DeRozan is one of the best mid-range players in the league, and he would come to Boston as a proven All-Star talent who would be more than comfortable leading alongside Brown and White.
A move to bring in DeRozan also allows the Celtics to shuffle Josh Minott and Sam Hauser off the bench as sparks of energy. Maybe even a fresh start for Carter would be advantageous, as he could learn a lot from White.
But the focus of this trade is DeRozan and his contract, which allows Stevens to cut the team's overall tax bill for the season even more and open up the option of utilizing him as a rental.
DeRozan will make $24.75 million during the 2025-26 season, and he is under contract for one more season at $25.74 million. However, next year's salary is only guaranteed for $10 million unless he makes the 2026 All-Star game or makes it to the 2026 NBA Finals.
Not only would Stevens have the option of keeping the experienced veteran alongside Brown and a healthy Tatum entering the 2026-27 season, but there is also the option of cutting DeRozan for $10 million and having cap flexibility to operate under the tax and aprons in free agency.
For the time being, DeRozan can be an additional weapon for Mazzulla to utilize this season before becoming a positive asset for the front office to experiment with in the offseason. Perhaps DeRozan could even be leveraged by Stevens in a future trade to land another star and make another Finals push.
Kings solve their PG problem… again
The Kings had Tyrese Haliburton. He was traded to the Indiana Pacers.
The Kings had De'Aaron Fox. He was traded to the San Antonio Spurs.
It is obvious to everyone around the league that the Kings need to figure out their backcourt, even though they just signed Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook, but would Ja Morant be the answer Scott Perry wants?
Whether or not the Kings truly want to pursue Morant, they need to if he becomes available.
Morant is the ideal guard to bring in because of his fit alongside LaVine and Sabonis, plus his energy on the court is what this Kings culture needs. No stars will sign with the Kings in free agency, which is why this organization's only chance to make monumental moves is on the trade block.
This scenario to pursue Morant also wouldn't break the bank in Sacramento, as they would be giving up players who already have a foot out the door for one who could really use a fresh start with fans who would back him 100 percent. Not to mention, the 2029 first-round pick the Kings would trade away wouldn't be a monumental loss either, since the expectation would be to win with Morant, LaVine, and Sabonis.
There is a chance this pick could wind up being in the lottery several years from now, but there's also a chance it turns into nothing. That is the gamble the Kings would need to be willing to take in order to bring in Morant.
If this was truly the cost to bring in the All-Star point guard between now and the trade deadline, Sacramento would be foolish to pass up this opportunity.
