(Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Whether the Miami Heat acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo or not over the next 23 or so hours, the pathway for acquiring Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant became a whole lot easier.
With Memphis shipping Jaren Jackson Jr. off to Utah Tuesday, the already-low price for Ja Morant continued to sink. All signs point to Memphis rebuilding, which means Morant’s exit as the deadline approaches could be inevitable.
While the Grizzlies are still aiming to acquire a team’s best offer, Morant strongly prefers to be moved to the Miami Heat — as well as the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are also in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes — according to Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko.
With 24 hours to go until the trade deadline, Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and his camp are disinterested with the idea of playing in Sacramento, with a strong preference for Miami or Minnesota in the event he is dealt, sources tell @YahooSports. https://t.co/1iI3xhfms0
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) February 4, 2026
Morant, 26, has a $39.4 million cap hit this year. He is on the books for two more seasons at $42.2 and $44.9 million, respectively, according to Spotrac.
Given his contract, injury history, off-court issues and declining play, his value was never going to be very high. Miami has long-been rumored as a potential suitor for Morant — as long as it still kept them in the chase for Antetokounmpo. The Heat will always do their due diligence on stars.
Through 20 games, Morant’s averaging 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 8.1 assists on 41.0 percent shooting, including a career-low 23.5 percent from 3-point range.
At 27-25, Miami needs a shakeup. Morant does carry a lot of baggage, and he doesn’t like the offense that team’s currently running. But acquiring Morant is better than the alternative — which is better than nothing — Antetokounmpo notwithstanding.
We’ll see if Miami pulls the trigger. It would likely come at the expense of Terry Rozier and Simone Fontecchio, two expiring contracts, with the rest being on the table for the Bucks’ superstar, should they decide to move him.
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This is a developing news story. Stay tuned for updates!
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