Never make assumptions about how the NBA trade market will unfold. A situation can feel obvious. A fit can look clean on paper. In practice, leverage, timing, and tolerance for risk tend to matter far more than aesthetics.
That tension is evident in Memphis. Leaguewide, teams continue to monitor the availability of Ja Morant, even as the Memphis Grizzlies project confidence. NBA reporter Chris Haynes reported this week that Memphis has told teams it is “very comfortable” keeping Morant beyond the February 5 trade deadline — language that may signal genuine resolve, strategic posturing, or both.
That uncertainty is what keeps speculative frameworks alive.
Every NBA fan loves a dynamic backcourt. It is not always the safest way to win, and there is a fair argument that size, versatility, and elite wings ultimately decide championships. Still, there is something enduring about guard play. Two star guards can bend defenses, accelerate tempo, and force opponents into impossible choices possession after possession.
Which raises an intriguing question: could the Phoenix Suns lean fully into that model by pairing Morant with Devin Booker?
Phoenix Suns Land Ja Morant in NBA Trade Proposal
Memphis Grizzlies Receive:
Phoenix Suns Receive:
Why the Memphis Grizzlies Do the Deal
In a conventional trade market, this proposal would be easy to dismiss. A team does not typically move a franchise guard without securing at least one first-round pick. On its face, this return falls short of historical precedent.
But this is not a conventional market.
Recent guard-centric deals have reshaped expectations, and Morant’s value exists in a narrower band than it once did. Injuries have limited his availability, and his lack of shooting continues to complicate roster construction. Through 20 games this season, Morant is averaging 19.5 points and 8.1 assists in 28.5 minutes, but on 41.0 percent shooting and just 23.5 percent from three.
The talent remains evident. Since returning, Morant has produced multiple high-level performances, including a 24-point, 13-assist showing against Orlando and a 23-point, 12-assist outing versus Atlanta. Those games underscore why teams remain intrigued — and why Memphis still carries leverage in conversations.
Still, the Grizzlies must evaluate more than flashes. If they are unconvinced that Morant can anchor a stable contender given availability concerns and stylistic constraints, pivoting toward flexibility becomes defensible.
That is where Jalen Green enters the equation. He is younger, volatile, and inefficient — but he also offers upside and timeline alignment. Memphis would be betting that Green’s ceiling outcome is more valuable than a late Suns pick would likely be, particularly if Morant’s trade market never rebounds to prior levels.
Why the Phoenix Suns Do the Deal
For Phoenix, this is a bet on talent over certainty.
Green has upside, but even in an optimistic scenario his fit next to Booker remains awkward. Both are score-first combo guards who thrive with the ball and are more inclined to hunt shots than to organize an offense. That redundancy caps Phoenix’s ceiling.
Morant, by contrast, brings structure. For all his shortcomings, he is a true engine guard. His rim pressure, vision, and ability to collapse defenses introduce a different geometry to Phoenix’s offense. In that configuration, Booker becomes the ideal release valve — an elite shot-maker punishing rotating defenses rather than initiating every possession.
Context matters. The Suns owe out most of their future draft capital, leaving them with little incentive to embrace short-term regression. Traditional roster upgrades are difficult. Acquiring a depreciated star may be the clearest remaining path to materially improving their outlook.
If Morant stays healthy, Phoenix becomes faster, more dynamic, and significantly harder to scheme against. The risk is obvious — but so is the stagnation they face without a move of this magnitude.
The Bigger Picture for Ja Morant
Fans often debate whether the NBA belongs to guards, wings, or big men. The reality is simpler. It is a talented player’s league.
Production matters more than positional archetypes. Teams that win consistently identify elite talent and align the roster around it. In that framework, Morant remains one of the league’s most gifted players, even if injuries and off-court issues have muted his impact.
League messaging reflects that tension. Memphis publicly signals comfort in keeping Morant, while rival teams quietly probe the edges of his market. That disconnect is where deals like this live.
A trade of this nature would represent clarity on both sides. Memphis would be choosing flexibility and a reset over volatility. Phoenix would be choosing volatility over stagnation.
Either way, both franchises would walk away with a dynamic guard — just betting on very different versions of the future.
Latest NBA News & Trade Rumors