{"id":781050,"date":"2026-07-05T18:08:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T18:08:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/781050\/"},"modified":"2026-07-05T18:08:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T18:08:22","slug":"offseason-observations-morant-draft-pick-trades-roster-crunches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/781050\/","title":{"rendered":"Offseason Observations: Morant, Draft-Pick Trades, Roster Crunches"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a flurry of NBA action over the past week that included trade agreements involving players like Kawhi Leonard<\/a>, Jaylen Brown<\/a>, Paul George<\/a>, Ja Morant<\/a>, and Walker Kessler<\/a>, the holiday weekend has provided a much-needed breather.<\/p>\n

The break in the action likely won\u2019t last long. The July moratorium<\/a> is set to end on July 6, which means a ton of previously reported signings and trades will be formally completed on Monday and Tuesday. Often, the end of the moratorium brings a mini-rush of new moves as well, now that they can be officially finalized.<\/p>\n

Before another busy week gets underway, I want to highlight a few under-the-radar offseason subplots that have caught my eye despite being overshadowed by splashier headlines.<\/p>\n

The Ja Morant<\/a> trade bonus that wasn\u2019t<\/p>\n

While most of the blockbuster trade agreements reached so far this summer<\/a> weren\u2019t able to be completed during the 2025\/26 league year for various cap- or apron-related reasons, one major deal that could legally be made official in June was Portland\u2019s acquisition of Morant<\/a>. And both the Grizzlies and Trail Blazers had a major incentive to get that trade done as soon as possible \u2014 much to Morant\u2019s chagrin, I imagine.<\/p>\n


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