Pelicans leading – The Memphis Grizzlies are expected to reengage trade talks this offseason as they consider moving Ja Morant, and an NBA insider says the New Orleans Pelicans are currently leading the sweepstakes over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The path for New Orleans could
When the Memphis Grizzlies look at their roster reset, the last piece keeps circling back to one name: Ja Morant. After Memphis tried to trade him ahead of last season’s NBA trade deadline and couldn’t finish a deal. the situation has shifted from urgency to planning—one that could finally move forward this offseason.
An NBA insider, Sam Amick, has pointed to the New Orleans Pelicans as the team currently in front in the race for Morant. The idea is simple: Memphis is still looking for a suitor, and the league connections around Morant haven’t gone quiet.
The Knicks aren’t part of this conversation, and neither are most teams. The two franchises most linked to Morant are the New Orleans Pelicans and the Minnesota Timberwolves. But the numbers and the matching don’t make Minnesota’s path feel as clean. Given Morant’s large salary, the Timberwolves could find it hard to complete a deal.
New Orleans, however, has a more direct storyline—even if it comes with real trade pressure. The Pelicans would likely need to move veteran point guard Dejounte Murray in a deal for Morant. New Orleans also has Jeremiah Fears on the roster after drafting him last year in the first round. a reminder that the Pelicans’ roster isn’t built only for the moment—it’s built to keep improving around a star.
That star fit is part of why this pairing keeps gaining attention. The excitement around Morant and Zion Williamson playing together isn’t subtle. The pitch is that they’re both athletic high flyers who can be hard to stop in the paint. turning New Orleans into a team with explosive scoring threats at the same time.
Still, the Pelicans’ side of the bargain may not be as simple as swapping one star for another. Trey Murphy III has been tied to trade rumors, but the Pelicans have been hesitant about moving the young forward. The question is whether New Orleans sees Morant as worth reshaping its core—and whether it can do it without gutting the pieces that already make its offense work.
For Memphis, the reset doesn’t stop with trading Morant—it starts with what comes next. With the No. 3 and No. 16 picks in the draft, the Grizzlies have the leverage to get a new point guard of the future. There have also been rumors that Memphis is trying to move back into the top 10. though it’s uncertain if they’ll be able to pull off that kind of maneuver.
All of it traces back to the same turning point: the Grizzlies tried to trade Morant before last season’s deadline and couldn’t close the deal. Now, the expectation is that Memphis would reengage teams in trade talks this offseason. And if the Pelicans really are in the lead. it suggests New Orleans may be willing to pay the price—starting with whether Dejounte Murray is truly on the table—to make a Morant chase become something more than speculation.
NBA rumors Ja Morant Memphis Grizzlies New Orleans Pelicans Minnesota Timberwolves Sam Amick Dejounte Murray Jeremiah Fears Zion Williamson Trey Murphy III NBA trade talks
Ja Morant to the Pelicans?? Honestly sounds like ESPN bingo again lol.
Wait so Memphis wants to trade him and New Orleans is “leading”? I thought Minnesota had more money or whatever. Also why would they move Dejounte Murray, wouldn’t that mess up the team chemistry?
I’m confused because didn’t New Orleans already have a point guard? Like Murray is already there, so now they’re gonna trade him for Morant and then what… Zion just gets older and wins games? Seems like a lot of moving parts for one dude with a big contract.
Pelicans makes sense ONLY because Zion + Morant would go crazy on highlights. But I swear the Knicks always get left out of these trades and then magically show up later. Also they mention Jeremiah Fears like that matters right now? idk, trade rumors change every hour.