Latest news with #Morant
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA rumors: Insider makes eye-opening Ja Morant-Heat trade connection
The post NBA rumors: Insider makes eye-opening Ja Morant-Heat trade connection appeared first on ClutchPoints. With some wondering about the Memphis Grizzlies' plans with Ja Morant after the shocking trade of sending Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic, there has been much speculation about the team that could be interested in the star. As some such as ESPN's Brian Windhorst see the Grizzlies' move as a rebuild trade that could impact Morant, Vince Goodwill of Yahoo Sports would link the Miami Heat to the 25-year-old. Advertisement Morant being connected to Miami currently wouldn't be the first time it's happened, as Goodwill points out that it would have been more complicated to do before the trade deadline with the Jimmy Butler saga happening. He would also say on his 'Good Word with Goodwill' podcast that Bane would've been involved in 'iterations' of a potential deal at the time. 'I don't think I'm breaking news here, but in the middle of the whole Jimmy Butler saga last year, one name that multiple league sources had brought up to me was, 'Hey, you might want to check on Ja Morant and Miami,'' Goodwill said. 'I didn't understand the iterations of it and I thought 'This was gonna be a really complicated trade (A) because of Jimmy's extension (B) because of Ja's long money, and there was iterations of Ja and Desmond Bane being shipped out, which sounds like it could be true given Desmond Bane was just traded yesterday.' Grizzlies not expected to trade Ja Morant Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports Trade rumors around Morant have been non-stop, especially ever since the Grizzlies fired head coach Taylor Jenkins, but in terms of the current moment, there isn't an expectation that the team will trade the talented star. This comes from a report by Tim Bontemps of ESPN, who said that Memphis is 'not looking to deal' Morant and big man Jaren Jackson Jr., who are seen as the 'two remaining franchise cornerstones.' Advertisement 'But more star trades are not expected. Sources told ESPN that the Grizzlies are not looking to deal either of their two remaining franchise cornerstones. The team has spent the past several months clearing salary cap space to complete a renegotiation and extension of Jackson's contract this offseason, preventing him from hitting free agency in 2026. The belief is that an extension will get done, sources said. But the Bane trade gives Memphis an avenue to give Jackson even more on that deal and lock him in long term.' Looking at the Heat, the team is currently pursuing Kevin Durant, but if it does not pan through, the franchise will look for other options in adding a star, which could mean contacting the Grizzlies about Morant. At any rate, Memphis looks to improve after finishing 48-34, which put them eighth in the Western Conference before being eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Related: NBA rumors: Shams claims Heat, Rockets 'a piece or 2 away' from Kevin Durant trade Related: 2025 NBA Mock Draft 3.5: How Desmond Bane trade can lead to more 1st-round deals
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ja Morant Had Two Words After NBA Finals Game 6
Ja Morant Had Two Words After NBA Finals Game 6 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The 2025 NBA Finals will have a Game 7. Unable to close out the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder played arguably their worst game of the entire postseason. It was a near wire-to-wire victory for the Pacers, who took a lead midway through the first quarter that was never surrendered. Advertisement With Tyrese Haliburton nursing a calf injury, many had Oklahoma City as the overwhelming favorite to win Game 6. Instead, the Pacers completed a 108-91 win to force a Game 7 on Sunday at Paycom Center. Many around the NBA have been reacting to this outcome, including Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant. In a post on X, the Grizzlies point guard had just two words. "game 7 🔥," he posted. Morant just completed his sixth NBA season. The Grizzlies were swept in the opening round by Oklahoma City, making it four seasons since their last playoff series win (2022). Memphis has already undergone significant changes this offseason, trading Morant's backcourt partner Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic. One of the most dynamic offensive duos in basketball, Morant and Bane had been a formidable pairing, but their run has come to an end. Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) and Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22)Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images More Grizzlies trade rumors have persisted since Bane's departure, but Morant has insisted he will remain in Memphis. The two-time All-Star is entering the third year of his five-year, $197 million contract with Memphis. Assuming no additional trades take place, the Grizzlies will now build around he and Jaren Jackson Jr. with Bane in Orlando. Advertisement Related: Ja Morant Sends 6-Word Message After Trade Report Related: Ja Morant's Strong Reaction to Major NBA Trade on Sunday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Could the Nets trade for Grizzlies' Ja Morant after Desmond Bane deal?
Could the Nets trade for Grizzlies' Ja Morant after Desmond Bane deal? The Brooklyn Nets are in the middle of a 2025 NBA offseason in which they have a sizable amount of ammunition to make moves happen across the league. While Brooklyn seems content to let its current rebuild play out through the draft, they are also reportedly open to trading for stars like Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. What about Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant? "But more star trades are not expected. Sources told ESPN that the Grizzlies are not looking to deal either of their two remaining franchise cornerstones," ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported on Sunday concerning Morant and Grizzlies center Jaren Jackson Jr. After getting swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis was considered one of the teams looking for change, especially after firing head coach Taylor Jenkins prior to the playoffs. "Memphis handing the team to coach Tuomas Lisalo -- who wants to play a fast-paced system with tons of pick-and-roll and 3-point shooting -- is designed to maximize what Morant can do," Bontemps continued. While Bontemps' report confirms that the Grizzlies intend to move forward with Morant as part of the core, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on Sunday (h/t to Bleacher Report's Zach Bachar) that teams will test that commitment. ESPN's Tim MacMahon said on "The Hoop Collective" podcast that Morant is still considered the face of the franchise for Memphis, but time will tell if the Grizzlies will feel that way for the long term. MacMahon said towards the end of the 2024-25 regular season that there was chatter about Morant being available this summer so for all anyone knows, Morant could still be had for the right price. Morant, 25, is coming off a 2024-25 season in which he averaged 23.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game while shooting 45.4% from the field and 30.9% from three-point land. While that is considered a down season based on what Morant did from 2021 to 2023, he still has the kind of ability that can raise the floor of a Nets team that will likely be in the lottery again. Morant has three years and nearly $127 million left on his current contract, but Morant could be the point guard of the future that Brooklyn has been looking for since Kyrie Irving was playing at Barclays Center. There is no indication of what the Grizzlies would want to let Morant go, but the Nets have plenty of cap space this summer along with nine tradeable first-round picks as of this writing.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ja Morant expressed desire to stay in Memphis in clapback at Stephen A. Smith
Ja Morant expressed desire to stay in Memphis in clapback at Stephen A. Smith Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win's basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here's Prince J. Grimes. When the Memphis Grizzlies pulled off their stunning trade of Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic last week, people wondered whether the deal meant they'd be moving on from Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. next in a full rebuild. Now, it seems, we have some answers. ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported immediately after that the team wants to keep its two remaining building blocks. The feeling is apparently mutual on Morant's end. In a message posted to X on Tuesday, the point guard expressed his desire to remain in Memphis, saying "ima be in dat 901," referencing the city's area code. Continuing in what seemed to be a response to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith -- who said on First Take other players don't want to go to Memphis for safety concerns -- Morant made a criticism of people focusing on the Grizzlies rather than the ongoing NBA Finals: "instead of focusing on the performances we seen from jdub/shai , tj/siakam, how this series is going . we say sumn negative about a city/team on a national level." As hit dogs do, Smith hollered in a tweet of his own, citing the recent trade news as his reason for addressing the Grizzlies. And as Smith does, he turned Morant's response into another First Take segment on Wednesday, clarifying his position. "The citizens in Memphis, I think a lot better can be done for them," Smith said. "And Ja Morant staying put and being the galvanizing force he can be, I think can assist in that. That's what I was trying to say." But this isn't about Smith. This is about Morant. That he wants to remain in Memphis and seems to have so much passion for the city has to be welcoming news for Grizzlies fans, who were probably dreading an upcoming rebuild after the Bane deal. At his best, Morant is one of the most exciting players in the NBA, and it's hard not to feel like the 25-year-old hasn't scratched the surface of his full potential. The Grizzlies have made the playoffs in four of his six years with the team, and even if they aren't winning, he's reason enough for fans to show up. The next step for Morant and Memphis is to make a deep playoff push. He has to stay healthy, of course (and make better decisions off the floor), and the Grizzlies have to hope new head coach Tuomas Iisalo is the person who can finally get the most out of the entire roster. But it's important for a small-market team like the Grizzlies to have a star who actually wants to be there. With that much in place, the real work continues on building a contender. Tyrese Haliburton likely a game-time decision for Game 6 Regardless of whether Tyrese Haliburton is able to go or not for Game 6, I think we can all agree his strained calf is ruining what was a perfect NBA Finals. With the Indiana Pacers' backs up against the wall, it would've been nice to see them have an opportunity to fight back with their star point guard at full health. Now, there's a question of whether Haliburton will be able to go at all. On Wednesday morning, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle told 107.5 The Fan that Haliburton will "probably be a game-time decision" for Thursday's game. That means the team has to prepare for two scenarios: one where Haliburton plays and another for if he does not, which isn't ideal at all while facing elimination. TRADE? Pacers make surprising deal during NBA Finals It's no wonder why so many other random events across sports have better odds of happening than a Pacers championship right now. The Pacers were going to have their hands full trying to extend a series against the Oklahoma City Thunder as things were. With Haliburton hobbled, it's hard to imagine they still find a way to pull off the upset. Shootaround
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kings Named Among Favorites to Land Grizzlies Star Amid Offseason Uncertainty
Kings Named Among Favorites to Land Grizzlies Star Amid Offseason Uncertainty originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Sacramento Kings have an interesting offseason ahead of them as they have a key decision to make regarding whether to begin a rebuild or run it back with a retooled roster. Advertisement Of course, the Kings finished ninth in the Western Conference but failed to make the playoffs after losing in the Play-In Tournament to the Dallas Mavericks. Sacramento went through a ton of changes during the season that saw them fire head coach Mike Brown and then trade away star point guard De'Aaron Fox at the trade deadline. Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) dribbles the ball on a fast break against the Orlando Magic in the second quarter at Kia Reper-Imagn Images With Fox gone, the Kings struggled at the point guard position to end the season with both Malik Monk and Keon Ellis filling that hole in their lineup. As the Kings now enter the offseason, it is clear that they need to find a new point guard and they have emerged as one of the favorites to land a star guard from the Memphis Grizzlies this summer. Advertisement According to Bovada, the Kings have the second-best odds (+500) to land Ja Morant from the Grizzlies via an offseason trade. The Toronto Raptors are the favorite (+400) to land him while the Brooklyn Nets (+700) and Miami Heat (+800) were also named. Of course, the Grizzlies mad ethe shocking decision to move on from Desmond Bane on Sunday as they traded him to the Orlando Magic and that move may signal a rebuild in Memphis. If that is the case, both Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. should draw a ton of interest from around the NBA and the Kings could be a team in on Morant. Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12).Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Morant has dealt with his fair share of issues over his career both on and off the court but there is no doubt that he would be a massive upgrade to the Kings' backcourt. Advertisement Despite this, there have been reports saying the Grizzlies are expected to keep Morant and Jackson Jr. this summer but if that ends up changing, expect Sacramento to show interest in adding the star point guard to their roster. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
