The Miami Heat are looking to upgrade their backcourt and have been linked to Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant. Despite claims from several NBA insiders, there has been no progress on the specifics of a potential deal with the Grizzlies. According to ESPN on January 14, the West team has also begun to entertain inquiries about Morant.
Following that, the two-time All-Star informed the Grizzlies that he doesn’t want to be traded. Days after the franchise’s interest in trading Morant was reported, Marc Stein of “The Stein Line” revealed the information on January 20.
On Tuesday, Jake Fischer reported on Miami’s interest in the NBA star. However, there is a catch before a deal can happen.
“(The) Miami Heat are interested in Ja Morant, but only on what they would consider a bargain deal,” Fischer said. “Something very equivalent to what the Washington Wizards paid for Trae Young. I have not heard much interest in Ja Morant elsewhere.”
The Miami Heat do have interest in Ja Morant, but won’t trade for him unless it’s a Trae Young type bargain, per @JakeLFischer
“Miami Heat are interested in Ja Morant but only on what they would consider a bargain deal. Something very equivalent to what Washington Wizards paid… https://t.co/gY0uoxIp1O pic.twitter.com/3ZYwdZvYUw
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) January 27, 2026
The Atlanta Hawks traded their franchise star, Trae Young, to the Washington Wizards. In return, the Hawks acquired Corey Kispert and veteran guard CJ McCollum; neither team offered any draft picks.
The Heat want a similar deal if they are to trade for Ja Morant. However, the Grizzlies could not get any draft capital if they traded Morant.
The Grizzlies want at least one first-round pick for Ja Morant
The Grizzlies aren’t asking a lot in the trade market when it comes to Ja Morant. According to Stein, the team could strike a deal even with just one first-round pick. It wouldn’t be much for other teams looking to upgrade their backcourt, since Morant is a productive star when healthy.
“The Grizzlies are said to be angling for at least one future first-round pick in a Morant deal,” Stein wrote. “Is that out there for them? You guessed it: The next 10 days will tell us.”
Stein added that the New Orleans Pelicans are also not interested in trading for the star guard.
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