NBA trade deadline: What will the Grizzlies do with Ja Morant? Will the Clippers be buyers?
Happy trading season to all who celebrate!
In anticipation of the upcoming February 5th deadline, many of you have submitted questions from across the country regarding pressing business matters across the league. As always, we appreciate feedback. Let’s delve deeper.
There doesn’t appear to be a Ja Morant suitor willing to meet the asking price of Memphis’ “young talent and asset.” If no one improves on their current offer, will the Grizz still move Ja before the deadline? — @CarlosLop32
In recent years we have seen both sides of the coin: a disgruntled player who, subtly or otherwise, made his desire to play elsewhere known, and an organization that more or less quietly made a player available.
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What we haven’t seen lately is what the Memphis Grizzlies did two weeks ago: a tight-lipped organization that changed course seemingly in the middle of the night, leaving their young star high and dry. The subsequent timing of Morant-related events – the embarrassing press conference in Berlin, the stellar performance in London and the unfortunate left elbow injury at home in Memphis – only adds to the strangeness of the whole affair.
There is an old saying that goes: Once the genie is out of the lamp, you can’t put it back in. Trade talks are always fluid and perceptions can change instantly, but I don’t think Memphis can reverse the damage it has done to Morant and his psyche by putting him on the block the way it has. Regardless of whether or not the Grizzlies anticipated a number of teams to generate interest, or Morant accepted a different role within the team structure, there is no question that the organization knew exactly what it was doing.
The reality, returning to your question, is that neither the Grizzlies nor Morant hold any leverage at this time. Most teams with the assets Memphis wants — young players and draft picks — are in a holding pattern around Giannis Antetokounmpo and his uncertain future in Milwaukee.
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That being the case, it’s highly unlikely that general manager Zach Kleiman will get a haul for Morant similar to what he got for Desmond Bane. It’s difficult to reach Morant’s $39.4 million salary without stringing together a slew of rookie contracts or older players with negative money. Now, if Memphis is susceptible to a pay cut, I could see a path to moving him in the next 10 days. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the Grizzlies opened door No. 2: Re-evaluate Morant after the deadline, evaluate his health after the All-Star break and then ultimately decide to shut him down for the remainder of the season, clearing the floor for a clean offseason break.
Do you think the Clippers will make some type of “big” move at the deadline (e.g. Michael Porter Jr.) or will they target smaller pieces that keep their 2026/2027 cap space plans intact (e.g. Collin Sexton)? — @APH00PS
It’s almost unfathomable to believe that, at one point, the Clippers lost 19 of 22 games between early November and mid-December. Around the same time, future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul was sent home, putting the Clippers at the center of league-wide discussions of organizational instability and potential fallout: rival teams looming over their array of ill-fitting talent. John Collins and Ivica Zubac were the two most common names on the market at the time.
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Since that low point, Los Angeles has gone 15-3 with the league’s fourth-best point differential, second-best offense and seventh-best defense, according to Cleaning the Glass. At 21-24, the Clippers sit comfortably in 10th place in the West, good for the play-in tournament and, more importantly, in prime position to potentially be aggressive before the deadline.
In conversations around the league, even at the beginning of the Clippers’ turnaround, they were thought to be buyers. Whether you want to chalk it up to stubbornness or having both Kawhi Leonard and James Harden on the roster, it’s clear that Los Angeles isn’t ready to pivot to a rebuild yet. Porter Jr., as you suggested, makes sense from a financial history perspective. Both Leonard and Harden’s contracts expire in the summer of 2027, similar to Porter, who will earn $78 million over the next two seasons. A combination of Collins ($26.5 million), Brook Lopez ($8.8 million) and Nic Batum ($5.6 million) works under the current CBA, as long as Brooklyn adds fillers to meet roster guidelines.
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A big-money move like acquiring Porter, a three-level high-end scorer who parlayed high usage into a productive and efficient stint on the Nets is more appealing than, say, adding Sexton. The Clippers have both Leonard and Harden playing at a high level right now. Foul.
With Steven Adams likely out for a while, do you think Houston trades for a center? — @sengoonnn
The Rockets have won four of their last five games after a three-game skid, enough of an upset to suggest the Rockets are good as they are. But since Jan. 1, the team is just 7-6 with the 21st-ranked offense in the league, according to Cleaning the Glass, and has seen dips in offensive rebounding rate in the week since Adams suffered a Grade 3 left ankle sprain. The Rockets are an average half-court team in terms of points per possession, but they now pool 31.5 percent of their misses, 11th best in the NBA.
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Typically, a fall from first to just outside the top 10 in any offensive category wouldn’t be a death knell, and it’s not the end of the world for Houston. But when combined with some of the Rockets’ other offensive traits — slow pace, low 3-point volume, high turnover rate and their propensity to shoot late in the shot clock — the removal of their biggest strength becomes a bigger problem.
Reserve big man Clint Capela’s number was called recently and the veteran center responded positively with 16 rebounds (including six offensive rebounds) in his last two periods. But with Adams expected to miss a good portion of the season, Rockets officials are still weighing whether or not to add another big to the roster, either via a trade before the Feb. 5 deadline or via the subsequent buyout market.
It’s important to note that Houston brass is simply mulling over the idea at this time. I’m sure Rockets fans are currently making internal calculations regarding the most pressing need: center or guard depth. Since the Rockets are somewhat limited financially, the most likely routes will be from inexpensive routes. Last week, Amazon Prime’s Chris Haynes reported interest in Pelicans scrappy guard Jose Alvarado, which Yahoo Sports can confirm. But the Rockets have no intention of putting Alvarado’s name at the top of their wish list. The 27-year-old guard represents what Houston I wanted do, all in all: a low-risk, low-cost addition. In theory you could throw in names like De’Anthony Melton, Cole Anthony, Seth Curry, etc. Ditto with greats like Day’Ron Sharpe, Kevon Looney (Houston had interest in him last summer before signing Capela), Isaiah Jackson, etc. Again, these are mental exercises. Looking at you, aggregators.
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What are the Heat doing at the deadline? Is it just Giannis or failure? — @KursheedAl31828
I wouldn’t say Miami operates strictly from a Giannis-o-bust standpoint. Outside of the Morant/Miami connection reported here two weeks ago, the Heat are thought to be seeking smaller-scale deals that would further bolster their asset war chest, positioning them for Antetokounmpo or a similarly scaled superstar if and when they become available.
The Heat currently have seven future first-round picks and two future second-round picks under their control. Miami is in an interesting position, sitting at 25-22, a half game out of sixth and two games out of fifth in the East. Perhaps, given Tyler Herro’s absence (out since mid-January with a chest injury), the Heat would be more open to a Morant deal assuming it wouldn’t impact their aforementioned Giannis dreams — and assuming Morant could return in a few weeks to give them a post-All-Star boost.
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Regardless, I’m very interested to see what happens with Terry Rozier’s contract. As the $26 million deal expires, there should be avenues to move on from the veteran guard, but his alleged involvement in a gambling scandal has likely complicated matters.