Could Dillon Brooks connection make Suns a dark horse for Ja Morant?

After the Atlanta Hawks moved to trade four-time All-Star point guard Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, another embattled floor general may be on the move next.

According to The Athletic’s John Hollinger (subscription required), Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is officially on the trade market.

Hollinger notes the Grizzlies are merely “listening to offers,” which is the job of any general manager across The Association. However, like the Young situation in Atlanta, it seems that both Morant and the Grizzlies are ready to move on from a roller coaster marriage that’s seen high highs and low lows.

Hollinger lists the Sacramento Kings having “lukewarm” interest in Morant “at best.” He notes the Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves as other Western Conference teams that could have interest in Morant, but their salary cap situations make it difficult to view them as legitimate destinations.

In the Eastern Conference, Hollinger points out the ever-desperate Milwaukee Bucks — who seem interested in any available talent to pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo — and the Toronto Raptors.

The latter is perhaps the most likely destination for Morant. The Murray State product could slot into a starting rotation that already features a blossoming Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett. Morant’s drive and kick skills would fit well on a team with varied scorers around him (all three of those Raptors average at least 19 points per game).

In a vacuum, that addition makes the Raptors more of a contender in the East than they would be otherwise.

And while Phoenix is not on Hollinger’s shortlist of teams thought to pursue Morant’s services, what would it look like if the Suns threw their hat in the ring as a dark horse to add Dillon Brooks’ former teammate?

Ja Morant trade to the Suns does not seem likely

Whether you think adding Morant to this Suns team is a worthy gamble or a foolish endeavor that would tank positive culture shifts, it may be a moot point.

Speaking on the “Game Theory Podcast w/ Sam Vecenie,” Sam Vecenie said the Suns don’t have the assets necessary to acquire Morant via trade.

Provided the Suns in recent years have already engaged in blockbuster trades to acquire Kevin Durant, Brad Beal and, most recently, Mark Williams, that’s a more than fair assessment.

But how much will Morant command in a trade given the reports of his discontent coming out of Memphis?

The Hawks ultimately moved Young for two players to match salary. No draft picks went to Atlanta in the deal.

The key difference between Young and Morant is that Morant is under contract for two more seasons after this one. He’ll be a free agent after 2027-28, which gives any trade partner more control than they would have had over Young, who has a player option for next season he could decide to exercise or else hit free agency.

It stands to reason that even with the off-court baggage Morant carries, he’ll garner more of a return when compared to a fellow All-Star point guard in Young.

If Memphis doesn’t get offered a return that entices them, there’s always the possibility they’ll keep Morant through February’s trade deadline and reevaluate over the summer.

If the Suns were to get in the mix, though, it would likely require an endorsement from Brooks, Morant's former teammate who’s helped change the culture in Phoenix since being acquired in the Durant trade.

Morant called Brooks a “special talent” in the past and said that both Brooks and current teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. “push me to be better every day and I do the same for them."

Brooks was spotted chatting with his former Grizzlies teammates, including Morant, after a Jan. 7 win in Memphis. If Brooks were to vouch for Morant, perhaps owner Mat Ishbia and the rest of the front office would be open to at least exploring acquiring the point guard.

For that to have any chance of happening, though, Memphis would need to be high on Jalen Green — the key addition along with Brooks coming back to Phoenix in the KD trade.

Green, a former No. 2 overall pick like Morant, is still only 23 years old. He’s played just five quarters this season due to a hamstring injury, but if the Grizzlies like the talent and upside as much as Phoenix did to make him the primary return for Durant, maybe the Suns can become a dark horse trade candidate for Ja.

Of course, the Suns have already said Green is not available after the Bucks (no surprise) reportedly showed interest in acquiring him. So, that outlook would also have to shift if a Morant deal was in the cards.

Even with the Brooks-Morant connection from their time together in Memphis, the Suns seem like a long shot to target the athletic slasher.

Fans hoping that Phoenix keeps Green to see what the roster looks like when he’s healthy will more than likely get their wish.