Ja Morant could be the next Memphis player heading for the exit door after Desmond Bane's recent trade marked the potential beginning of a Grizzlies rebuild.
"In the middle of the whole Jimmy Butler saga last year, one name that multiple league sources brought up to me was... Ja Morant in Miami," revealed Yahoo! Sports reporter Vince Goodwill.
The revelation comes just days after the "Grizzlies" shipped Bane out for several first-round draft picks, sparking speculation about the franchise's direction. Goodwill's report suggests Miami showed interest in acquiring Morant during their previous pursuit of Jimmy Butler III, though no deal materialized at that time.
The timing is particularly interesting. Memphis recently went through a coaching shake-up, dismissing Taylor Jenkins without warning and ultimately appointing Tuomas Iisalo as his permanent replacement after he served as interim coach during their playoff sweep by the "Thunder".
Previous trade discussions reportedly faced significant hurdles. "I didn't understand the iterations of it. I was like, this is going to be a really complicated trade — A, because of Jimmy's extension; B, because of Ja's long money," Goodwill explained.
To be clear, these weren't just isolated rumors. According to the same report, there were "iterations of Ja and Desmond Bane being shipped out" in previous discussions. With Bane now gone, is Morant truly next?
Now that the "Grizzlies" have solidified their coaching situation with Iisalo at the helm, the front office might feel more comfortable making major roster decisions. The Bane trade could just be the first domino to fall in what might become a complete rebuild for Memphis. The question is – how many more pieces will they move before next season?
