With Luka Doncic being traded to the Lakers, it’s been made clear that no one in the NBA is untouchable.
Doncic wasn’t alone as the NBA trade deadline saw numerous stars get moved, including De’Aaron Fox, Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, Brandon Ingram and, of course, Anthony Davis in the Doncic deal.
But who’s next?
“I’m constantly checking in with executives around trade deadline about like, okay, what we saw, what we didn’t see, what’s next,” Howard Beck said on The Ringer NBA Show podcast.
“Somebody out of the blue said, ‘Keep an eye on Ja [Morant] this summer,’” Beck said.
The Grizzlies own the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a 36-18 record, while Morant is averaging 20.7 points, 7.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.
But Morant has missed 22 of Memphis’ 54 games after missing 73 games last season, raising concerns about his availability.
Not only are the injuries plaguing Morant, but his own actions off the court have landed him in hot water on multiple occasions.
He’s been suspended for brandishing guns on social media two separate times, in addition to facing a lawsuit for punching a teenager in a pickup basketball game.
Morant has been very successful when he is on the court, winning Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player awards and being selected as an All-Star twice.
But with his injuries and off-court issues, the Grizzlies could be getting fed up with Morant. We’ve seen teams get pushed past their limits for a player doing far less — considering the Mavericks moved Doncic over “conditioning” concerns.
If Dallas can trade a perennial All-NBA and future Hall of Famer after he took them to the NBA Finals, who’s to say Morant is safe?
If the Grizzlies lose early in the playoffs and are looking to make improvements, Morant could be the catalyst in a deal while Memphis builds around Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane.
It’s certainly not imminent, but if Memphis disappoints down the stretch, keep an eye out come summertime.
“I’m just kind of keeping an eye on if [the Grizzlies] were to flame out early,” Beck said.
