It’s natural for the Sacramento Kings to be connected to big names on the trade market as they limp through an abysmal start to the 2025-26 season–but don’t expect them to trade for Ja Morant.
ESPN’s Shams Charania recently listed the Kings as a team that holds “a level of interest” in trading for the disgruntled Memphis Grizzlies guard, but Carmichael Dave shared his latest intel on that rumor during Wednesday’s edition of The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross.
According to Dave, Sacramento — a team that is currently in the process of trying to offload salary and acquire young, controllable talent — isn’t interested in parting with draft compensation or young players to reel in another large contract for Morant.
“I can tell you this, it ain’t true. Never say never. But I know for a fact that the Kings and Memphis haven’t talked recently about anything,” Dave said of the Ja Morant-Kings report. “I know for a fact that if you believe [Memphis’] asking price, which is young players slash future draft capital, the Kings have zero interest. It’s not going to happen.”
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More on the Ja Morant-Kings rumors
Ja Morant’s time in Memphis appears to be winding down.
Morant, who has been suspended multiple times over the years for issues both on and off the court, has been linked to several teams in trade rumors, with the Miami Heat often mentioned alongside Sacramento and the trade-desperate Milwaukee Bucks.
Miami and Milwaukee have emerged as legitimate options for Ja Morant, with the Heat in need of a franchise centerpiece alongside center Bam Adebayo, and the Bucks searching for a solution to a sub-.500 start that has many wondering about the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Due to the Sacramento Kings’ 10-30 start to the season — the franchise’s worst in its 40-year tenure in Northern California — some are beginning to link the Beam Team to big-name stars who could be on the move, but that doesn’t mean a deal will come to fruition.
Kings GM Scott Perry spoke with Dave and Jason Ross earlier this week and stated that Sacramento’s goal is to get younger and more athletic, with whispers around the team pointing to adding at the forward position.
The Kings are currently navigating a logjam at the guard spot that includes Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schroder, Malik Monk, Zach LaVine, Keon Ellis, and Devin Carter.
LaVine, like Ja Morant, has been linked to Milwaukee in trade talks ahead of the February 5th trade deadline, as Sacramento looks to move off the star guard’s nearly $50 million player option for 2026-27.
Could a LaVine-Morant swap make sense for both sides? Dave says that hypothetical could spark more interest from the Kings’ side, but Memphis is seeking young players and draft assets in return for the former All-NBA guard.
“Now, if [Memphis] wants to take Zach LaVine and 2035 second, okay, we may be on to something here, but not with what they’re looking at right now,” Morant said. “We’ve talked about this before. The media will oftentimes be used as a negotiating tool, especially national media. And that’s fine. That’s again, part of the business.
“I think what happened is that Shams had it — I’m just guessing, no disrespect — from a great source. But that source was wrong, because it’s not coming from the Kings’ side. They’re not, they’re not, they’re not involved.”
Ja Morant is set to make $42 million in 2026-27 and $45 million in 2027-28 before becoming a free agent in the Summer of 2028.
You can expect Sacramento to be active on the trade market in the coming weeks, but a trade for Ja Morant doesn’t appear to be in the cards.
Listen to The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross from 6 – 10 a.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.
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More on the Sacramento Kings from Sactown Sports
The NBA trade deadline is just three weeks away, meaning that players like Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine will continue to see their names pop up in trade rumors and reports.
As the Kings continue to evaluate the future of LaVine and other players on their roster, one team remains interested in the two-time All-Star: the Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee has been linked to LaVine since the start of the season, and The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel‘s Jim Owczarski added more fuel to the fire with his report this week that signaled more interest from the Bucks front office.
According to Owczarski’s report, Milwaukee has “legitimately serious interest” in trading for LaVine or Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
Report: Bucks remain interested in Zach LaVine
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Wednesday, January 14th – vs. New York Knicks – 7:00 PM PT
Friday, January 16th – vs. Washington Wizards – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, January 18th – vs. Portland Trail Blazers – 6:00 PM PT
Tuesday, January 20th – vs. Miami Heat – 7:00 PM PT
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