With 19 days until the 2025-26 NBA Trade Deadline, the fun is only beginning! The Washington Wizards kicked off trade season last week by trading for Trae Young. And there appears to be another disgruntled guard out West — Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant — whose value may not be much higher, if at all.
While it remains to be seen whether or not the Grizzlies deal the two-time All-Star ahead of the deadline, the Heat appear to have some degree of interest. Don’t expect the Heat to bid up for the 19-year-old guard. But when a star is available, they will always explore the option.
Morant’s market ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline appears to be modest, at best. What would it take for the Heat to hypothetically get a deal done? At minimum, expect guard Terry Rozier to be involved, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
“Should Miami ultimately acquire Morant, Terry Rozier’s expiring $26.64 million contract will almost assuredly be a part of any trade package,” Scotto wrote. “Within league circles, there have been rumblings that Morant’s desire for months has been to land with the Miami Heat.”
There is still no clarity on Terry Rozier situation:
Rozier was arrested in late October as part of an illegal gambling probe that the FBI is still investigating. The league placed Terry Rozier on leave, but his $26.6 million salary remains on the Heat’s books until further notice.
His contract is expiring, but it remains unclear whether or not the Heat can trade him or not.
Of course, it doesn’t help for them to try; the worst-case scenario is that the league says no. But that would raise more questions than it answers, and I’m not sure the league wants to back themselves in a corner if that’s the case.
It all comes down to Zach Kleiman’s willingness to accept a Rozier-led package. He is an expiring salary, as is Simone Fontecchio’s $8 million, but neither offer much on-court value to make it a worthwhile return. In Rozier’s case, he doesn’t provide any because, well, he literally can’t.
The Grizzlies are seeking at least one young player and a first-round pick. We proposed a Rozier-Fontecchio-Jaime Jaquez package with one first-round pick swap earlier this week. Is that enough?! Let us know in the comments!
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According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, teams across the league are keeping a close eye on Mitchell as the Heat explores the Morant situation. That leaves the impression that rivals around the league believe the Heat may look to trade him if Morant becomes a likely trade option for the team.
Why Davion Mitchell would be a prime trade target across the league
From an objective perspective, it’s easy to see that Mitchell would be an extremely attractive trade target. In his first full season in Miami, Mitchell is having a career year in terms of overall offensive efficiency and playmaking. He’s also on a great contract. Mitchell is making $11.6 million this season and is on the books for just $12.4 million next year.
Watch Adam Silver kill any deal involving Rozier. He must really hate Miami!