The Phoenix Suns don't have to make a big swing for another star so soon after trading away the last one. Yet the possibility of trading for Ja Morant is mighty tempting.
The Suns are in a retooling year. They traded Kevin Durant, waived Bradley Beal and added multiple young players over the summer. They are pointed toward a new chapter with Devin Booker at the center and players like Mark Williams and Jalen Green and Ryan Dunn surrounding him.
Yet the reality remains that they do not own their first-round pick, nor control it for multiple seasons moving forward. Tanking is not in the cards for Phoenix, and Booker -- while under contract long-term -- is already 29 years old. Pivoting back towards winning games could happen sooner rather than later for this team.
Enter Ja Morant, who is currently feuding with the Memphis Grizzlies as their relationship deteriorates. At some point, one of the two sides is going to call it quits -- Morant, who (for some reason) feels slighted and disrespected by the Grizzlies, or Memphis, which is likely sick and tired of dealing with his drama.
If Morant hits the trade market, he will likely be available at something of a bargain. There was a time when trading for Morant was both unthinkable and, at the very least, would have required a massive trade haul - the kind that the Suns gave up for Kevin Durant, for example. He was an ascending superstar who would bring on-court success and off-court celebrity.
That moment is long gone, however. Morant is no longer the player he once was, and the Grizzlies can't shop him at the top of the market. He is a damaged asset, and the Suns and any other team trying to make an offer can expect to start negotiations at a much lower point. Given Morant's talent, that could prove to be the perfect buy-low moment.
Building a Ja Morant trade
What would a trade from the Suns look like? Let's take a look at one potential option that would keep Booker and Phoenix's newly drafted players all on the roster.
The Grizzlies would get a younger guard to install into their young core of Scottie Pippen Jr., Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward. Nick Richards is merely matching salary on an expiring $5 million deal, but he also gives them another warm body at center to navigate the early part of the season. The best the Suns can realistically offer in terms of draft equity is a swap of their 2032 pick and a pair of seconds.
Is that enough for the Grizzlies? Maybe not, but Green is a legitimate young piece to build around and offers a pathway different than merely tanking. The Suns benefit from being able to say it's almost literally the best deal they can offer. Memphis likely pushes for another young piece like Ryan Dunn or Rasheer Fleming, but let's say the rest of the market is cool and this deal ends up working for the Grizzlies.
Would Phoenix make this trade? The answer seems like an unequivocable yes. Mat Ishbia is not the type to want to stay calm and quiet; this would be a loud splash to form a dynamic backcourt pairing between Booker and Morant. It would also be an injury-prone backcourt, but at least one can take the reins from the other as needed.
It would also be a departure from the Durant and Beal deals, where the Suns obviously overpaid in both cases. This would be adding a player at a discount while the market is low on them.
Is Morant a good fit? That's a more difficult question to answer, as he is a spotty shooter and a defensive liability whose athleticism is waning. He is still good, but he is no longer obviously a star. Could he rehab his value and rediscover his love of basketball in Phoenix? It's certainly possible, but far from a given.
This deal is a very reasonable price to pay for Morant, and he makes some sense in Phoenix. Ultimately, trading for Morant is not a path most teams should want to go down, but if they did, this deal and his fit in Phoenix make a fair bit of sense.
Grade: B