Should the Suns consider a Ja Morant trade with Grizzlies?

As soon as the Memphis Grizzlies made Ja Morant available for a trade, plenty of suitors emerged. One of the quiet potential destinations could be the Phoenix Suns.

NBA writer Matt Moore detailed that Phoenix has done “exploratory work” for a point guard. That was also a looming question surrounding the team heading into the season.

Could the duo of Devin Booker and Jalen Green fulfill that role? The latter has played in only two games, which has left Booker to run the show.

But head coach Jordan Ott’s offense has the ball moving on all cylinders. And Booker’s assist numbers draw some concern, despite his usage rate and how much of the offensive initiator he is.

However, the chance to land one of the most dynamic playmakers could be enticing to a team that is far exceeding its expectations.

Why the Suns don’t need Grizzlies’ Ja Morant

Six. The number of guards that the Suns have on the active roster. Two of them (Jamaree Bouyea and Green) are both out due to injury. Once they come back, the amount of versatility at that position is astronomical.

Landing Morant doesn’t seem viable because they would land a point guard when Booker has already solidified that position. Not to mention, Morant has three years remaining on his contract and roughly $125 million.

For a team that wants to escape the luxury tax, this would be putting them back in the same position. Also, there is a history with the current Memphis guard.

He’s only played 18 games and is averaging career lows across the entire board. Granted, they were in a rough position due to injuries, but the tension with Morant and the Grizzlies is worth monitoring.

Could acquiring Morant halt Phoenix’s progress with team chemistry? That question might be a stretch, but the quantity of guards, along with Booker running the point and Green set to make his return, should make the Suns not intrigued to trade for him.

The other side of a possible Grizzlies-Suns trade for Ja Morant 

There are two sides to every coin, and landing Morant would fill the team’s biggest need for a playmaking point guard. He has averaged over seven assists every season of his career and has grown as a scorer.

Pairing Morant next to Booker would be an ideal yin and yang scenario. The latter is more methodical, gets to his spots, and knows how to slow the game down.

On the contrary, Morant will speed the game up, be a force in transition, and put pressure on the basket that no other guard on the Suns (besides Green) can do.

Head coach Jordan Ott hasn’t had someone like the Memphis point guard to apply paint pressure to the defense. Simultaneously, it can lead Booker into a more scoring role, as he did with Chris Paul.

Still, he has enjoyed being the primary playmaker on the team.

The 26-year old fits the mold with what the Suns are building. A young, scrappy, physical team that plays with swagger that Morant has plenty of on the hardwood.

Final decision on a Ja Morant trade?

In all actuality, the Suns likely won’t make a move for him, nor should they. Phoenix has its yin and yang combination of Green and Booker, along with key complementary pieces.

Trading for Morant would also mean they would likely need to move off of Green, in order to make the salaries match up. It’s a risk that doesn’t seem necessary, considering Green has only played two games.

Pulling the trigger on that dynamic seems way too soon, and it would be best for the Suns to ride out the rest of the season with a fully healthy roster and see where that takes them.

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