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NBA trade rumors swirl around Ja Morant #12 and Jaren Jackson Jr.
The last week has been promising for those who want to see some fireworks in the NBA trade rumor mill before the deadline hits, as Ja Morant’s availability has been accelerated thanks to his own controversy, while teams like the Celtics and Bucks were thrust back into the spotlight.
Boston was hit with a most unexpected NBA trade rumor thanks to a suggestion that Brad Stevens could pursue Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr. And the Milwaukee Bucks, almost as soon as the Giannis Antetokounmpo on-the-trade-block rumors had been put to rest, now find that the Greek Freak’s own antics have resurrected them.
Oh, and there is a hand injury for Mavericks big man Anthony Davis to consider. All in all, there is much to be sorted out among the big names that are dotting the trade market these days.
Let’s give it a go.
Ja Morant and the Grizzlies: Expectation Collides With Reality
For the Grizzlies, the decision to entertain serious trade packages for point guard Ja Morant has thus far been a double-edged sword. Yes, there is interest in Morant. No, there is no interest in giving up multiple first-round picks for him.
The Grizzlies knew they would not get the kind of package for Morant they got for Desmond Bane from the Magic (four first-rounders and a swap), but they were expecting a deal to land two first-rounders. There’s a question, in the wake of the Trae Young trade (in which no picks went to Atlanta), of whether they’ll even get one.
The Heat have a level of interest in Morant. But they’re not giving up assets for him. Nor are the Kings or … well anyone, it seems. If the Grizzlies do trade Morant, it will be in an unremarkable deal.
The Grizzlies are trading Morant at the very bottom of his value, and there’s not much room to change that, especially not after a confrontation with a teammate while the team was in Berlin. “That’s got to be a get-him-out trade, where you’re matching salaries and taking an expiring contract and moving on,” one Eastern Conference GM said. “They’ve got to get him out of there and everyone knows it.”
Celtics and Jaren Jackson Jr.: Apron Troubles
First, there was a report from Action’s Matt Moore that suggested that the Celtics, “would love to trade for” Jaren Jackson Jr. That is no doubt, true, but it is also like suggesting that a 5-year-old wants an ice cream. Of course they do.
But the Celtics can’t get there despite the NBA trade rumors that have followed. The team just made some tough decisions to excise salaries this summer to get out of luxury-tax apron hell, and trading for Jackson would simply get them right back into it. Boston has $145 million committed to Derrick White, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for 2026-27 (and $155 million for the trio in 2027-28) so adding the five-year, $204 million extension for JJJ makes no sense.
Unless they deal White (they won’t), adding Jackson (at $49 million next year) would essentially put the Celtics over the luxury tax threshold (projected for $201 million in 2026-27) for four players. They’re not going back down that road.
And get used to this refrain: GMs around the league can see Jackson getting traded, but not at the deadline. “More teams will have picks and flexibility this summer to do something with a contract that size,” one NBA executive said. “Check back in June.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo Re-Ignites NBA Trade Rumors
The same can be said for Antetokounmpo, even after his shoddy display against the Timberwolves on Tuesday. Minnesota was without Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards, and still throttled the Bucks by 33 points. The team was rightfully booed on its home floor, but Antetokounmpo responded by childishly booing back at the crowd.
“Whenever I get booed, I boo back,” Antetokounmpo said.
He later added, ” I don’t think anybody has the right to tell me how I should act on [a] basketball court after I’ve been here 13 years. And I’m basically the all-time leader in everything.”
That’s not a great look from a guy who only last week said he loves Milwaukee too much to ask for a trade. But again, don’t expect one to spring up in the next three weeks. “That’s another one, it would be really, really hard to do it at the deadline, it should wait for the summer,” the exec said.
NBA Trade Rumors Still Floating Around Injured Anthony Davis
The verdict was the same on the Anthony Davis situation with the Mavericks. He will not undergo surgery to repair his hand, which means he could be back in six weeks–something Dallas wanted to leave open as a possibility for teams seeking Davis in a trade. But Davis has played only 29 games since he was dealt to Dallas a year ago, and there are not teams lining up to gamble on a trade now.
“He might come back in March,” the exec said. “And that is ‘might.’ And this is Anthony Davis. You can’t go to your owner and tell him you want to send a first-round pick and a young player and bring in Davis and then sit and watch him play for 10 days before he gets hurt again.”
Davis will be more tradeable in the offseason, though there is still a chance that the Mavericks hold onto him.
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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