The 2026 midseason trade has been a rollercoaster ride. Teams like the Washington Wizards, LA Clippers, and Cleveland Cavaliers went all-out. Yet names like the Miami Heat sat quietly. Then there were stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant. While the former had a bunch of suitors willing to give up their assets, the latter? Well, the Memphis Grizzlies star seemingly had no market.

Now, the Grizzlies made Ja available for trade conversation in January. Apparently, the organization was ready to move on from the 26-year-old and move ahead into a future without him.

The Athletic’s Joe Vardon writes that by the NBA’s definition, Morant is still a star. “But there was virtually no market for him; he’s constantly injured, and he gets in trouble off the court too much for anyone’s comfort.” 

Trade chatter connected Ja Morant with the Sacramento Kings, Miami Heat, and Milwaukee Bucks. However, Sacramento sought heavier draft pick compensation to absorb Morant’s value, while Memphis showed reluctance to match those demands, reducing progress.

Because of that, Morant remained absent from the Giannis Antetokounmpo discussion. Analysts viewed their situations differently, since trade frameworks, team priorities, and market expectations currently place Morant and Antetokounmpo on separate competitive tiers leaguewide.

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However, according to the insider, “Memphis intends to trade Morant over the summer.” They remain comfortable handling any temporary setbacks that may arise by retaining Morant beyond the trade deadline.

Therefore, observers should not interpret the Grizzlies’ decision to hold Morant as a shift in organizational strategy, since long-term roster plans and future flexibility still guide Memphis leadership across the league landscape.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies appear to be accelerating a full roster reset after completing a major trade with the Utah Jazz. Utah receives Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, Jock Landale, and Vince Williams Jr.

And Memphis gains Kyle Anderson, Walter Clayton Jr., Taylor Hendricks, and Georges Niang. They also get a 2027 most favorable first-round selection, a 2027 Lakers first-round pick with top-four protection, and a 2031 Suns first-round pick.

Now, let’s understand why Ja Morant lost his market value on the Feb 5 deadline.

Ja Morant was unwanted in the trade window

Earlier in January, the Grizzlies made Ja Morant available in the trade market. However, they soon clarified that they want at least one future first-round pick from any team willing to pursue Morant. This may be where the trouble started.

Front-office leaders around the league believe the Memphis Grizzlies would seek significant draft assets before entering serious negotiations with Morant. Consequently, that expectation quickly limits potential suitors.

Moreover, teams must evaluate Morant’s inconsistent season, repeated time away from action, and a contract carrying more than $42M annually for the next two years.

Therefore, franchises seemingly backed out due to intense financial pressure and lineup complications before meaningful conversations advanced. Interestingly enough, Zach Lowe and ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon predicted the market scenes for Morant back in January.

“I have not found a team that has definitively said to me, ‘We’re definitely trying to get Ja Morant,'” Lowe said on The Zach Lowe Show by The Ringer. Meanwhile, on the Hoop Collective podcast, Bontemps said league-wide interest in Morant has been “very limited.” And MacMahon added that moving the 26-year-old would be an “extremely unpopular” decision within the Grizzlies organization.

So now, Ja Morant and the Grizzlies have to wait until the offseason to make a move. Then it will be interesting to see whether the two-time All-Star regains his position in the trade market. Because for now, everything looks stagnant.