As the NBA trade deadline approaches with nine days remaining until Feb. 5, speculation surrounding Ja Morant continues to swirl. One rumored destination, however, appears firmly off the table. Veteran NBA insider Marc Stein pushed back strongly this week on reports linking the Memphis Grizzlies star to the New Orleans Pelicans.
In a post shared Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter, Stein dismissed the idea that talks between the two franchises are taking place.
“One source close to the process tells @TheSteinLine that there are no discussions between the Pelicans and the Grizzlies on a potential Ja Morant deal … despite persistent speculation to the contrary,” Stein wrote.
Stein expanded on that reporting in his latest column for The Stein Line, adding further context to Memphis’ position amid widespread league chatter.
“The search for a confirmed Morant suitor thus continues,” Stein wrote. “The Grizzlies still hope to find a trade partner before the Feb. 5 buzzer after so much public discourse surrounding Morant's availability, but as we've been saying: Memphis knows it'll be a very challenging sell to its fans to just ship Morant out in Trae Young-ish fashion by accepting multiple team-friendly contracts for perhaps the most popular player in franchise history.”
Young was traded earlier this month to the Washington Wizards in a deal centered around CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, a return Stein cited as a cautionary comparison rather than a template Memphis is eager to follow.
Stein added that the Grizzlies’ asking price remains significant.
“The Grizzlies are said to be angling for at least one future first-round pick in a Morant deal,” Stein wrote. “Is that out there for them? You guessed it: The next 10 days will tell us.”
Marc Stein shuts down Pelicans-Ja Morant trade as injury clouds Grizzlies season
While Memphis continues to field inquiries, Stein was emphatic that New Orleans is not among the teams engaging in Morant discussions.
“The Pelicans, meanwhile, are said to be on the active side in terms of taking and making calls — with interest in young center Yves Missi only growing — but the messaging was emphatic: No Morant conversations,” Stein wrote. “Just as New Orleans has repeatedly insisted it intends to hold on to in-demand swingmen Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones.”
The trade speculation comes amid a challenging season for Morant, who has been limited to just 18 games. The 25-year-old is currently sidelined after the Grizzlies recently announced he will miss at least three weeks with a UCL sprain in his left elbow. He sustained the injury during a Jan. 21 home game against the Atlanta Hawks and is expected to be reevaluated in early February.
On the court, Morant has averaged 19.0 points, 7.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds and one steal per game while shooting 40.1 percent from the field. His 20.8 percent shooting from three-point range marks a career low, though he is converting a career-high 90 percent of his free throws. The scoring average is his lowest since the 2020-21 season, reflecting an uneven campaign marked by interruptions and inconsistency.
Memphis enters Wednesday’s slate at 18-26, having dropped three straight games following Monday’s 108-99 loss to the Houston Rockets. The Grizzlies sit 12th in the Western Conference standings and will host the Charlotte Hornets (19-28) on Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. ET as they look to regain traction.
New Orleans, meanwhile, remains at the bottom of the standings at 12-36 despite a recent two-game win streak that includes a 104-95 upset of the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. The Pelicans will conclude their three-game road trip Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder (37-10) at 8:00 p.m. ET.
With the deadline nearing, Morant’s name is expected to remain central in league discourse. For now, Stein’s reporting makes clear that any presumed path to New Orleans exists only in rumor, not reality.
