NBA Trade Rumors: Ja Morant Lands In South Beach With Miami Heat in Proposed Deal

After such a promising start to the season, the 2024-25 campaign pretty much ended in turmoil for the Memphis Grizzlies. The team was the 2-seed in the Western Conference as late as Feb. 27th, with a 38-20 mark. By the time the regular season was done, the Grizz had dropped to 8th spot in the West, and had fired their long-time head coach Taylor Jenkins.

After clawing through a Play-In game, they were wiped out in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, including a 51-point demolition.

Now, questions about the future of Ja Morant in Memphis have cropped up, and a trade could even be in the offing this summer.

On the other hand, the Miami Heat lost their superstar identity when they were forced to trade Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors at the deadline. They, too, were humiliated in a four-game sweep in the first round, and suffered 55-point and 37-point indignities.

Both teams need to do something drastic.

With that, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report has a proposed trade that lets Morant take his talents to South Beach, and the Grizzlies to do a re-set:

Miami Heat receive:

Ja Morant
Jay Huff

Memphis Grizzlies receive:

Duncan Robinson
Kyle Anderson
Nikola Jović
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
2025 first-round pick (via GSW)
2029 first-round pick (top-four-protected)
2031 first-round pick

For the Heat, they get a superstar for the bright lights of South Beach, and a much-needed playmaker and star. No chance would the Grizzlies trade Morant, you say? Even though the team has adamantly denied it could happen, it was only days ago that ESPN insider Tim MacMahon suggested that there is indeed "a lot of ‘whispering and rumbling’ around the league regarding Morant potentially being available."

The question, as raised by Buckley, is how a defensively-challenged backcourt containing Morant and Tyler Herro would suit a defensive-minded coach like Erik Spoelstra. Is Bam Adebayo enough to cover up the deficiencies on that side of the ball?

The Grizzlies, in this hypothetical offer, would be receiving two young, promising pieces in Jovic and Jaquez Jr., three first-round picks, and a couple of usable veterans to help in the transition.