The Miami Heat’s 14-7 start to the 2025-26 season feels like a distant memory. They are back fighting to avoid their fourth-straight play-in at 20-19. And it’s become clearer they need an(other) injection of life.
Should that be Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant? He’s one of the most polarizing players in the league. But he also appears to be one of the biggest names on the market ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Let’s explore the Miami Heat possibility below!
Vote below in our Ja Morant-Heat polls!
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Hanifan’s take:
Here are my answers to each question:
- I think the Heat should do their due diligence. But I don’t think Morant is a good fit, so I would likely look elsewhere before pursuing this option.
- Yes. At the very least, they’ll kick the tires.
- No. Only if the Heat get at least one first-round pick back.
- Absolutely not. That would be blasphemy.
- No.
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Would not trade Herro for Ja – Herro averaged 24/5/5 last year, makes 10m less per year and is a career 38% 3PT shooter.
Hawks traded Trae to avoid his $49m player option next year. Ja has similar long-term money ($42m next year, $45m in 2027-8). That’s a major risk factor in trades in this CBA. But a Morant for Rozier, Fontecchio and pick swaps (as Kevin O’Connor at Yahoo proposed)?? That’s such a low cost it’s a definite yes from Miami
DESPERATE PEOPLE DO DESPERATE THINGS
I can’t believe those poll numbers. Are Heat fans that desperate? If Miami goes after a point guard, it should be one with two-way skills. Replacing Herro’s lack of defense with Morant’s makes absolutely no sense. When Morant falls flat on his face or goes out long-term because of an injury, what is Plan B?
This is a not a contending team. Miami should accept reality and plan for the future rather than continue living in the past. I would target trades for younger players and draft picks in order to improve the team long term, not high risk players with performance, injury and/or personal issues.
Heat culture can’t fix every broken player in the NBA. If it fails with Morant, it will cost the team $100M+ and 2.5 seasons.
I agree 100 %. My biggest concern though would be Morant’s head, I am not sure he would be the kind of player (leader) the Heat need. Do we believe that he is over that wannabe thug stuff he used to do? Do we really want this kind of player with his baggage? The last thing we need now on oir roster is a diva.
But it is the kind of trade Riley would do, take an opportunity to get a star player at a low price and find a way to make it work around them.
I’d make the trade in a second. No way the Grizz would though. When is anyone going to realize noone wants Herro and his albatross contract that will only get larger. I laugh when someone calls him a former all star as yes, technically it’s true, But it was one of those- we have to choose someone situations, and he is nowhere near an all star any other season. Compare him to any other all star and the comparison looks ludicrous.
The likely truth is the Heat tried to trade Herro several times, at least definitely once during negotiations with Dame, and there were never any takers. And there are none now which is why they are shoving him into the starting lineup so they can call the him a starter to try to raise his value but no one is going to see him any different anyway. We are stuck with him till his contract runs out, which could be an uncomfortable scenario.
But, this is the web Pat weaves, that he gets boxed into and still gets away with because no one holds him accountable, He doesn’t even have to do the most basic thing, communicate with the fans. You never hear from him.
I dunno if Ja Morant is the answer, but this team has to do something.
In Pat Riley’s 20+ years with the Heat, this team had never finished lower than 6th more than two years in a row until last year, when they finished 8th place for the 3rd year in a row. And halfway through the season, they are once again in 8th place.
At some point, this team has to seriously shake things up. They make nice little moves on the margins every year, and it’s getting them nowhere but back in the play-in every year
Portland is better this year, right?
Crazy to say and think but it’s true. It’s because they tanked which Mia and those around them media wise are too prideful to do which is why they will be playin champs sgain and out in the first round
it’s pretty debatable whether the players Portland got from tanking are any better than the players Miami drafted over the same time period. The real improvements Portland made came from trading for Deni Avdija and Jrue Holiday
Nah, Portland is also a play-in team. You could only say they’re ‘better’ because the expectations for the Blazers are so much lower.
If there is a trade for Herro, it shouldnt be related to Memphis one. So, Herro for frontcourt help, and Rosier contract, a filler and a young player and a protected pick for Morant.
Rosier, Simone and Pelle for Morant works.
How about adding herro to the trade and we get morant plus aldama?
Not Pelle, no
Pelle is a solid rotation player on a rookie contract and a keeper. I would trade Jovic instead if he didn’t have that poison pill contract.
Morant’s stock is at an all time low and his salary is a problem for most teams.I don’t see Memphis getting a good return for him, it would be something similar to Trae’s trade at best. Herro, while also having availability issues is a young player, last year’s all star who can give you 25 ppg and is 10 mil $ cheaper. I don’t think Memphis could get a better value for Ja. They certainly shouldn’t expect to.
Morant+Aldama for Herro+Rozier if they want to get rid of him so much.
Fair deal. Does it work money wise?
I would hate it if I were Grizzlies fan🙂 I believe it works, but Aldama can only be traded after January 15.
No problem, only 2 days away.
Rozier probably cannot be included in a trade anyway.
Never thought I’d be saying this a year or so ago, but right now Herro is too valuable to give up JUST for Ja Morant, especially with the way this current roster is built. If Kasper is our PG of the future, he needs to get plenty of playing time these next two years, unless they plan on playing Kasper at the two as well. And I think Davion Mitchell is a keeper.
The Heat really currently needs additional size and frontcourt depth. I’d rather use Herro and Rozier’s salary to get a 3rd rotation big. I’d LOVE to get someone like Isaiah Hartenstein or Ivica Zubak, but they aren’t available. Hell, I’d even take adds like Vucevic, Nurkic, or Valanciunas at this point (not for Herro, but I’d definitely slot them into Rozier’s salary slot).
This also makes sense. We definitely need a backup pf/center.
I don’t like the trade. However, if Miami is going to take Morant off of Memphis’ hands, a Herro plus Fontecchio for Morant plus a first seems appropriate. Memphis can turn around and trade Herro to the highest bidder this summer.
If Morant fails in Miami, the team will be stuck with him and his bloated salary for two more years.