NBA trade proposal sends Grizzlies’ Ja Morant to Suns

The NBA trade market never behaves the way it looks on paper. Logic helps. Leverage matters more. Timing matters most.

And when a star like Ja Morant is involved, all bets are off.

Memphis continues to say it is comfortable keeping Morant past the February 5 deadline, per NBA insider Chris Haynes. Maybe that is real. Maybe it is posturing. Either way, rival teams are watching closely.

One fun thought experiment? Phoenix going all in on a two-guard star pairing by putting Morant next to Devin Booker.

Let’s take a look, as proposed by James Piercey of Dallas Hoops Journal:

Suns receive

• Ja Morant

Grizzlies receive

• Jalen Green
• Nick Richards

Why Memphis considers it

In a perfect world, Memphis would want premium picks. This is not a perfect world.

Morant is still electric, but availability, durability and shaky shooting complicate his value. Through 20 games, he is averaging 19.5 points and 8.1 assists on 41 percent shooting and just 23.5 percent from three. The flashes remain. So do the questions.

Green is younger, volatile, and far from a finished product. But Memphis could be betting on timeline, upside and flexibility rather than living on the Ja roller coaster.

Why Phoenix does it

Phoenix is running out of runway and draft picks. Standing pat is not a plan.

Morant gives them a true engine guard who bends defenses, attacks the rim and creates easy looks. Booker slides into a cleaner scoring role. The offense gains pace, pressure and playmaking.

Is it risky? Absolutely. Is stagnation worse? Probably.

Big picture

This is a talent bet.

Memphis would be choosing flexibility over volatility. Phoenix would be choosing volatility over standing still.

Both sides walk away with a dynamic guard. They would just be wagering on very different futures.