Ja Morant finds himself in an odd place right now. The Memphis Grizzlies star has quietly transitioned from long-term cornerstone to a piece the team is willing to part with. It’s not just one moment, but the accumulation of various issues, and now, one insider has delivered an update on his status.

“I don’t think Ja’s value is very high right now,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on NBA Today. “He is having a terrible shooting season, and… he has driven to the basket less and less and shot more and more, and the more he shoots… the less his efficiency is.”

That assessment has reframed things around Morant‘s career. This isn’t about Morant’s potential ceiling, because teams potentially still believe in that, but the problem is his current position.

Due to mounting injuries, Morant has reduced his driving, which once defined his playing style, and the explosiveness that he showed off on every play has had to be reshaped into ineffective perimeter shots.

Morant has expressed frustration about inconsistent foul calls on his drives, particularly after returning from injuries and suspensions in recent seasons.

He noted scaling back aggression to avoid contact without referee acknowledgment. “I don’t hunt shots. My teammates actually yell at me if I’m not being aggressive.”

On attacking defenses, he said: “Once I see how the defense is playing me, I know how to attack and where I can get my shots.”

Earlier in his career, he embraced finishing through contact: “I’ve got this mindset now that I’m going to finish the play no matter where the defender’s at.”

In the eyes of rival offices, that combination has turned a potential Morant acquisition into a calculated risk. This is why any transaction involving Morant is likely a “buying low” offer, according to Windhorst, and those offers are what the Grizzlies are likely to receive.

That context matters now because NBA insider and fellow ESPN reporter Shams Charania confirmed that the Grizzlies are seriously entertaining trade offers for Morant for the first time since drafting him 2nd overall in 2019.

“From my understanding, Miami, Sacramento, multiple other teams have a level of interest and are pursuing Ja Morant,” Charania reported on NBA Today. “Rival executives have told me that the Grizzlies are seeking young players and draft picks in any potential deal that involves Ja Morant.”

The NBA Isn’t Valuing Ja Morant Like a Franchise Star Anymore

Ja Morant is under contract through 2028, which gives the Grizzlies leverage, in theory; however, that might not translate to negotiations, especially since the league has agreed on a lowered valuation.

As Charania noted, unlike the recent Trae Young situation between Atlanta and Washington, there’s still time, but the Grizzlies have opened the door.

Morant’s recent history has altered the way teams approach a potential deal for him. The star has stopped leaning into what makes him special this season, focusing on shooting perimeter attempts, while also losing much of his explosiveness due to injuries over the last few seasons.

That, combined with his recent suspension and history of off-court incidents, raised questions about his availability. He can be elite again; the question is just how often and for how long.

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That caution is going to shape the offers the Grizzlies will see: packages composed of a few young players, expiring deals, and draft capital, all of which are good, but nothing that will alter the franchise.

For teams interested, the appeal is clear: gamble on the upside without paying the premium associated with a former All-Star.

The Grizzlies can now either hold onto Morant, hoping that he will improve his market value by regaining health and rhythm, or they can accept that a fresh start benefits both sides more than waiting for a consensus to change.