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At least one NBA executive feels Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks could be a possible fit for Ja Morant amid rumblings the Memphis Grizzlies could consider a trade, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.
Fischer wrote Saturday on The Stein Line he had asked an executive of a rival team if he thought the Bucks might target Morant to build around Antetokounmpo.
“They’ve thought about everyone,” the executive responded.
Fischer’s report comes the day after ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the Grizzlies were “entertaining offers to potentially move” Morant ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
“Multiple teams are pursuing Morant in trade talks and rival executives believe the Grizzlies would prioritize draft picks and young players in return, sources said,” Charania wrote Friday.
The Bucks have one first-rounder, either in 2031 or 2032, available to move in a trade. ESPN’s Jamal Collier reported in December the Bucks have not offered that pick in any trade deals over the last year, and that “league sources do not believe they would do so now unless it was for a significant star.”
Milwaukee will gain some more tradable draft capital the day of the NBA draft, when the franchise’s 2026 and 2033 become available to move, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Morant could then gain from a move to Milwaukee by getting the chance to play alongside Antetokounmpo on a team hoping to climb up into the Western Conference playoff picture down the stretch.
Fischer added Saturday that Morant is “quietly” open to a trade, and that the Grizzlies checking on potential moves is “believed to be a mutually agreed-upon path forward.”
The Bucks have room below the luxury tax apron and could theoretically take on salary in the trade. Should the Grizzlies ultimately decide to move Morant, the franchise would have to decide if potentially clearing cap space and gaining draft capital would be worth parting ways with Morant after six and a half seasons.