Ja Morant is officially on the market. Maybe he already was, but we've officially moved into the "X team is listening to offers" portion of the superstar trade cycle, an important development. We're early enough in the process that Morant hasn't been linked to any specific teams yet, although Shams Charania of ESPN reported that "multiple" teams are pursuing his services.
Should the Suns be among that group?
I'm just asking — I could hear your groans through the computer screen. The thought process behind a Ja-to-Phoenix deal would be simple: Morant and Devin Booker would form perhaps the best backcourt in the NBA, and Morant would fill the Suns' need for a primary ball-handler beside Book. Plus, Morant's value is lower now than it ever has been, meaning the Suns likely wouldn't have to sacrifice much (if any) of their young core in the deal.
That's a pretty compelling case. But if Suns fans have PTSD about a star acquisition, it's hard to blame them.
Should the Suns take a gamble on Ja Morant?
It wouldn't be the first time the franchise takes a swing on a star player; unfortunately, the most recent example is more a reminder of why the Suns should not try again. Kevin Durant himself posted very solid numbers in his time with the Suns, but the team didn't do much of anything during KD's three seasons with the team.
However, the Suns might be in a perfect position right now to shoot for the stars. They're massively overachieving, but still play in a loaded conference in which playoff wins will not be easy to come by. Morant has two years left on his deal after this season, so it's not like the Suns would be hamstrung by his contract far into the future, either.
It's hard to imagine that Morant would make the team worse in any way, so adding Ja feels like a clear on-court upgrade, especially if the package is centered around Jalen Green (who has barely played for the Suns anyway) and picks (which aren't real and teams should always trade them).
But Morant's production has dropped significantly in recent years — an All-NBA player just four years ago, now Morant is struggling to score 20 points a night and shoot over 40 percent from the field. Is he working his way back to form, or is this his new form?
Morant's injury history and suspensions loom large
Of course, hesitancy in trading for Morant — for any team, not just the Suns — also stems from Morant's lengthy injury history and the multiple long-term suspensions he was given for a variety of very strange off-court incidents.
He's never played more than 70 games in a season, and has played fewer than 65 more times than not. At 26 years old, Morant's inability to be on the court feels less like a fluke every year. He simply doesn't play enough, but that's gone mostly unnoticed because not too many people are tuning into Grizzlies games every night.
Trading for Ja Morant comes with a considerable amount of baggage. It also potentially lands a team a star point guard for cheap. If the Suns are happy with the direction things are headed, I understand that. This season has been a blast. But if they want to elevate into the upper tiers of the league, a trade for Ja is (potentially) the easiest way to do that quickly.