Less than 48 hours after the Atlanta Hawks traded Trae Young to the Wizards, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the Grizzlies are "entertaining offers" for their star point guard, Ja Morant. There is a world where Memphis could get more for him in a deal than Atlanta did for Young.
As ESPN's cap expert Bobby Marks highlighted, Morant not making All-NBA in the 2022-23 season plays in the Grizzlies' favor, as he was eligible to "only" sign a five-year, $197 million extension, not one worth $237 million.
Ja is making about eight million less this season ($39.5 million) than he would be if he had signed a larger extension. He will make $42.2 million next season, and $44.9 million in 2027-28, the final year of his current contract. He won't come close to surpassing, or even reaching, the $50+ million that would've been in play if he had made All-NBA.
In today's NBA world, dominated by the CBA and front offices doing whatever they can to save money, Morant's contract matters.
Grizzlies could get more for Ja Morant than Hawks did for Trae Young
It's not all that hard to beat a package of CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. When Charania first reported the trade on Wednesday, fans waited to see if he'd add in draft compensation, but that never happened. Atlanta didn't receive any picks for trading Young, and Washington didn't receive any for taking on the remainder of his contract.
One would think Memphis wouldn't get any draft compensation for Morant, who has dealt with off-court issues that will be a talking point in trade talks with other teams. He also hasn't helped lead his team to the conference finals, as Young did with the Hawks in 2021. His availability is also a concern, as Ja hasn't played 70 games in a season once in his career.
All of those factors combined will make Hawks fans feel some way if the Grizzlies net a better return for Ja. Charania already reported that there are "multiple teams" pursuing him. While that doesn't mean there are several teams seriously interested in trading for him, Atlanta's only real suitor for Young was Washington.
It won't be long until we know more about who the real suitors are for Morant, assuming there is more than one, or at least one. Charania added that the Grizzlies are open to keeping Ja, but like with the Hawks and Trae, it feels like that chapter in Memphis is coming to an end. Now, let's see what they get for him.