Brian Windhorst shuts door on Ja Morant with Grizzlies during NBA Draft

At this point, it feels like it’s a matter of when Ja Morant gets traded, not if. The Memphis Grizzlies star has had a falling out with his team over the last few years, but it all came to a head in the 2025-26 season. After a string of incidents between Morant and the team, Memphis started to actively shop the former second-overall pick.

The Grizzlies have had trouble finding a trade partner for Morant, with teams reluctant to take on the star’s massive contract. Despite the roadblocks, NBA insider Brian Windhorst says that we likely won’t see the high-flying guard in a Memphis jersey this season. Windhorst points to Memphis’ activity during the 2026 NBA Draft as a signal of the team’s intentions.

“It’s not really a question for the Grizzlies; they’re going to really try to trade him,” Windhorst said. “I think we probably have seen the last moments of Ja Morant in a Grizzlies uniform. It just depends on how it’s going to play itself out. They are looking to totally reset their franchise. Cam Boozer’s selection at number three is part of that.”

While there’s a world where the Grizzlies could try and see if a Boozer-Morant pairing will work, the more likely outcome is that Boozer will be Morant’s replacement moving forward. Boozer has all the tools to be a franchise player and isn’t owed a ton of money. Morant, meanwhile, has seemingly exhausted the franchise’ patience, with his off-court antics not being worth the production he’s been giving them.

Windhorst also noted that the Grizzlies have been struggling to get a trade partner for Morant due to how the 2026 NBA draft panned out. The teams that were in the market for a franchise point guard already drafted their guy, and no one is quite willing to take on the PG’s contract. That being said, Memphis has an ace up their sleeve in these negotiations.

“The one thing the Grizzlies have on their side that they could use in a Ja Morant trade would be a $29 million trade exception, one of the largest trade exceptions in the history of the NBA,” Windhorst said. “They can use that to get involved in trades.”

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