Feb. 23, 2026, 6:28 p.m. ET
It’s tough being Ja Morant these days, dearest readers.
While former teammates like Jaren Jackson Jr. are (hopefully) onto greener pastures, Morant is stuck. He’s on a hopeless Memphis Grizzlies team that really should be tanking, that conversation about the integrity of competition be damned. Worse yet, Morant is, once again, nursing an injury. This time, it’s a UCL sprain in his left elbow. Morant hasn’t played in a game since late January. In fact, he’s played in only 20 games all year. He’s averaging fewer than 20 points per game for the first time since his sophomore NBA season. He seems to be further away from his past All-Star form than ever.
As Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports, it should be no surprise to learn that no one was that interested in dealing for Morant at the NBA trade deadline. For all intents and purposes, he’s damaged goods. No serious team with aspirations of NBA title contention would ever give up valuable assets for a guy whose production and availability have taken a marked step back in three consecutive years.
About that whole “serious team” thing.
As Fischer also noted, the Milwaukee Bucks, who are entangled in a “will they or won’t they” sitcom-like dynamic with Giannis Antetokounmpo, could circle back around on a Morant trade conversation this summer. Acquiring Morant would be this unmoored franchise’s best (and perhaps last?) gambit at appeasing Antetokounmpo to keep him in Milwaukee for the rest of his career.
Honestly? I don’t hate the idea! More from Jake Fischer:
“One scenario that has to be filed away — for all the justified questions about fit — is the prospect of Milwaukee trading for [Ja] Morant. Numerous teams came away from the deadline believing that the [Milwaukee] Bucks’ interest in Morant was genuine … whether that was to install him as their eventual successor to Antetokounmpo as Face of the Franchise or because they believe they could actually make a Giannis-and-Ja pairing work.”
Morant hasn’t been a consistent superstar for a while now. I don’t think anyone should be holding their breath on him ever returning to elite form until he does it. But if it were to happen, it could be in Milwaukee with Antetokounmpo. Imagine this duo running a pick-and-roll together. Imagine Morant throwing lobs to Antetokounmpo. Shoot, with how adept a passer Antetokounmpo can be sometimes, imagine him throwing lobs to Morant!
On paper, Antetokounmpo would be the best player Morant has ever played with. Morant could comfortably settle into a sidekick role in this stage of his career, which would be to his benefit. The more I think about it, the more I like this idea. I could see a reality where an Antetokounmpo-Morant Bucks team becomes a legit title contender. It’s not that crazy. Given that the Bucks have flopped everywhere in keeping Antetokounmpo happy in recent years, they’ve employed worse strategies.
Really, what’s the worst that could happen? Antetokounmpo dances around the prospect of leaving Milwaukee? He’s already doing that! If you’re Bucks leadership, it’s time to think outside the box.
Getting Morant in the fold would qualify.
No one wants to win the West (No. 3 seed)
Let’s turn our attention to the near top of the Western Conference standings and to NBA teams who are trying to win now and make deep playoff runs. Well, ostensibly trying to win now, anyway.
After the Kaiju-like Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, you may have noticed the glut for the No. 3 seed. The Denver Nuggets hold the position for now by virtue of tiebreakers, but they’re not exerting firm control over it after losing seven of their last 10 games since Nikola Jokić returned from a bone bruise. Denver is struggling to defend, and Jokić has been pretty hot and cold since his return as he works his way back into game shape.
Frankly, the tepid Nuggets are lucky that no one below them seems competent enough to leapfrog them outright. The Houston Rockets have an offensive malaise that is difficult to describe until you realize they’re likely having rampant chemistry issues. The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t been healthy (but then again, their roster isn’t all that good anyway). The Minnesota Timberwolves should be a lot better than they are on paper, but every now and then, they take these random, inexplicable double-digit losses on the chin.
What does all of this mean?
Until further notice, I’m starting to think the Thunder and Spurs are the only legit contenders in the West. Everyone behind them is just shaky enough to give me real pause. At this rate, we have to be honest. Whoever ends up with the West’s No. 3 seed is likely playing for the right to lose in 6-7 games in a second-round series to either Oklahoma City or San Antonio. As it stands, I see no reason to trust that anything else would happen.
Good luck to the one team that simply outlasts everyone else for the No. 3 spot. You’ll need it.
Shootaround
This was Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.