This post was originally published on this site.
The Milwaukee Bucks maintain some interest in Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant, according to Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Friday the Grizzlies “are entertaining offers” on Morant prior to the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline.
Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor cited the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings as “teams to watch.” John Hollinger of The Athletic wrote the Brooklyn Nets could be a “deep dark horse,” and he cautioned the Kings’ desire to strike a bargain could be “lukewarm at best.”
The reports come on the heels of the Atlanta Hawks sending one-time franchise cornerstone Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for forward Corey Kispert and guard CJ McCollum.
Atlanta’s lackluster return shows what Memphis might be up against as it tries to recoup something for Morant.
The two-time All-Star has been limited to 18 appearances this year and averaged 19.0 points and 7.6 assists when he played.
In general, Morant’s value has steadily slid downward after he won the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2021-22. He has played total of 138 games since then, while Memphis has yet to advance out of the first round in the postseason.
The Bucks are probably considering the 6’2″ playmaker for many of the same reasons they reportedly had Young on their radar.
Milwaukee (17-21) clearly needs to improve the supporting cast around Giannis Antetokounmpo, but general manager Jon Horst doesn’t have a lot in the way of trade assets.
Morant could take some of the scoring burden away from Giannis and replace Kevin Porter Jr. as the primary facilitator. His skills would certainly be useful for the Bucks.
More than that, he’s a marquee star Horst might actually be able to land with his limited resources.
As with Young, though, making the finances work are tricky when Morant counts for $39.4 million against the salary cap. Giannis, center Myles Turner and forward Kyle Kuzma are the only Bucks players earning $20-plus million this year, and aggregating salaries risks depleting the roster too much.
Morant is a sensible target on a theoretical level, but a trade may not be very realistic.