What we’re hearing about Ja Morant’s tepid trade market, plus more deadline buzz
Welcome to this week’s edition of What We’re Hearing, NBA Trade Deadline edition. I, along with our other league insiders and beat writers, will provide you with the most recent NBA trade information each week leading up to the deadline on February 5. The edition from last week is here. We talk about Ja Morant’s actual trade value, the possible effect of Bucks fans booing Giannis Antetokounmpo, and more this week. The hottest question in the league this week
Who truly desires Ja Morant? Does someone? This week, the NBA saw a shocking development: professional basketball players actually like the city of Miami. Who knows? Yet when it comes to fallen Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant and his known interest in playing for the Heat, it’s not really about what he wants so much as it is about what Miami — or any other interested team — might actually want to give up to get him.
And this presents the greatest obstacle when reporting on rumor mills during this time of year, in the interest of complete journalistic transparency. Even if it isn’t always reflected in the information that circulates throughout the league during this time of year, there is a significant distinction between a team’s genuine interest in a player and its curiosity about him. Morant is a wonderful illustration of this dynamic.
The initial ESPN report about his availability was met almost instantly with an unofficial list of teams, from a number of outlets, that appeared to have interest. That doesn’t, however, tell you whether or not a deal could actually be made with any of the teams mentioned along the way. Take, for instance, the Heat.
While it’s certainly interesting that Morant reportedly bought a $3.2 million house in the Miami area a few weeks ago, and that the Miami Herald reported on Wednesday about the Heat having “preliminary discussions” with the Grizzlies on a deal, that still doesn’t clarify whether Pat Riley, Andy Elisburg and the rest of the Heat’s stakeholders are willing to give Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman what he’ll be seeking.
Especially in light of Memphis’s communications prior to the Morant sweepstakes tipping off. In the wake of the Grizzlies trading Desmond Bane to Orlando in a June deal that landed them four first-round picks and a first-round swap (in addition to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony), league sources say Kleiman indicated that — if he ever were going to trade Morant — it would require serious draft capital in return. In addition, one can imagine how opposing teams would have interpreted that framing in the Bane context.
With this in mind, it’s understandable that Morant’s potential selling price is still a mystery. As related context, let’s remember the Atlanta Hawks just sent four-time All-Star Trae Young to the Wizards for an aging, though still impactful, CJ McCollum (now 34) and fifth-year small forward Corey Kispert, with no picks to speak of.
As a result, sharing the list of teams that might be interested is sometimes only part of the story. According to team sources, the Sacramento Kings would only make a Morant deal if it didn’t involve giving the Grizzlies significant draft capital, citing another alleged suitor.
That is, sort of, a significant obstacle. What’s more, it appears the Kings — who insist they’re not currently pursuing Morant — don’t see him as a good fit for their current timeline. (In case you haven’t noticed, that roster needs to be completely overhauled.) There must be other versions of this story elsewhere in the league, from Milwaukee to Minnesota (both of which I am told are unlikely) and beyond. Although the Raptors are associated with a number of high-profile situations, including Anthony Davis’s situation in Dallas, Toronto is also being considered by league circles.
However, draft capital is now a highly prized commodity in the Association. Additionally, the Grizzlies’ desire for it may make it extremely challenging to locate a move. If you’re the Heat, Timberwolves, or Raptors, there’s a 6-foot-11, 243-pound player you need to take into account as well. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s unstable situation in Milwaukee is widely expected to escalate (again) in the offseason, and it would be ill-advised for any potential suitor to give up any assets in another trade now that might come in handy later.
Moreover, Miami is frequently mentioned as a location where Antetokounmpo might be interested in landing. All of which takes us back to Morant’s list of favorite cities. And amid all the smokescreens on that front, this much seems clear: Berlin didn’t appear to be one of them.
Whether it was his press-conference interaction with our Joe Vardon about his uncertain Grizzlies future, or his apparent disagreement with teammate Vince Williams at shootaround, Morant did not seem to enjoy his short time in Germany. Most importantly, the fact that he didn’t play made everything about his trip look even worse. While Morant had a calf bruise, Vardon reported that Morant, per league sources, “suggested to at least two teammates, and other NBA players, that he wouldn’t play for Memphis anymore.”
Yikes.
This is the kind of thing that will undoubtedly annoy the league office for the purposes of this international trip, which featured Morant as the promotional Grizzlies face on the Amazon Prime poster. Commissioner Adam Silver even stated that he was “disappointed.”
None of this is helpful to the Grizzlies, who now have to figure out how to get the most out of a Morant deal. Back booing, Giannis With the Bucks star telling me on Jan. 7 that he has no plans of pushing his way out anytime soon, right about the time you thought we could (finally) stop talking about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo might get traded before the deadline, there is this. Bucks fans, just six days later, booed their home team so loudly during a blowout home loss to Minnesota (without Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert) that their beloved franchise centerpiece responded in kind.
“I was definitely booing back,” Antetokounmpo said. “I boo back when I get booed. That’s what I’ve been doing all season. On the road, you guys haven’t been with me.
I boo back whenever I get booed. Does this change anything with the relationship between Giannis and the Bucks? He alone truly knows. On FanDuel’s Run It Back, however, former NBA player Chandler Parsons stated, “Bad idea, Milwaukee.” The big guy should not be taken for granted right now. While Antetokounmpo might have said in that aforementioned interview that he’ll never ask for a trade, he also spent quite a bit of time discussing the reality that human beings tend to change their minds from time to time.
Then came Thursday night, when the Bucks (17-24) dropped their third consecutive game in humbling fashion — 119-101 at San Antonio, where the Spurs led by as much as THIRTY … NINE … points.
League sources say Milwaukee, which is now 2 1/2 games out of Play-In
Tournament position, remains focused on improving its roster around Antetokounmpo rather than entertaining the prospect of trading him. But the fact remains that the two-time MVP desperately wants to compete for another NBA title, something this Bucks team looks utterly incapable of doing.
Adding boo-birds to the mix only makes matters worse, even if Bucks basketball has been really, really bad of late.
The Kuminga Konundrum
Therefore, we published a behind-the-scenes piece on the Jonathan Kuminga situation on Thursday that consisted of approximately 4,000 words despite the widespread exhaustion experienced by Warriors fans as a result of the story, which dominated the headlines throughout the summer and really never stopped. Sorry, not sorry.
But out of everything we learned, I thought this unidentified quote from a Warriors player best summed up the problem. “What’s that, $33 million for not playing and sitting on the bench?” one player said in reference to Kuminga and veteran Buddy Hield.
It’s $31.7 million this season, but who’s counting?
It is still hard to imagine that the Warriors’ front office decision-makers, including owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy, will not find a new home for Kuminga, if only because of the harsh truth that player highlighted. For the final stretch of Steph Curry’s 17th season, they need players who actually play and produce.
So while I understand the Warriors won’t do a deal for the sake of doing a deal, with team sources making it clear that they’ll hold onto him past the deadline if there’s nothing they like available, there will be an unavoidable uptick in angst from all parties — fans, Warriors players, Kuminga’s camp et al — if that scenario actually comes to pass.
