The Memphis Grizzlies are trying to move Ja Morant, and the market around the 26-year-old guard has already shifted from draft capital to pick swaps to players. League sources now expect the Ja Morant trade to happen this week, putting the two-time All-Star on the edge of a sudden exit from Memphis.
That is why the search around Morant is spiking now. The timeline has tightened with free agency set to begin June 30 at 5 p.m. CT, and a deal can be officially completed once the league's moratorium ends on July 6. Morant's profile explains the urgency: he is seven seasons into his NBA career, won NBA Rookie of the Year and earned All-NBA second-team honors in the 2021-22 season, which is the kind of resume that usually draws a stronger market than this one.
Vincent Goodwill said the asking price for Morant has dropped considerably since the NBA draft on June 23. The shift matters because it shows how quickly Memphis has adjusted its target. What began as a search for draft capital has reportedly moved to pick swaps and then to players, a sign that the Grizzlies are no longer holding out for the kind of return that would have been expected for a player of Morant's stature.
Brian Windhorst added another layer on June 24 during NBA draft coverage, saying Morant is done in Memphis and that the Grizzlies are having a difficult time finding a trade partner. He said the team is looking to totally reset its franchise, and described Boozer's selection at No. 3 as part of that reset. He also pointed out the problem facing any deal: there are not many teams that need franchise point guards, and many of them drafted one already.
That leaves Memphis in a narrow lane. reported the Grizzlies also picked up Olivier-Maxence Prosper's $2.5 million option for the 2026-2027 season and GG Jackson's $2.4 million option for that same season, a reminder that the roster picture is still being sorted even as the Morant talks move forward. GG Jackson averaged 21 minutes and 12.5 points through 55 games, while Olivier-Maxence Prosper averaged 18.6 minutes and 10 points through 53 games.
The hard part is no longer whether Memphis wants to act. It is whether any team willing to meet the new price will step in before July 6, when trades can be completed and the next phase of the Grizzlies' reset becomes real.
