This post was originally published on this site.
The Memphis Grizzlies are in position to make a big splash ahead of the trade deadline with Ja Morant smothered in rumors about a possible dismissal.
CBS Sports writer Sam Quinn added fuel to the fire by suggesting a trade that would send Morant to the Heat for Tyler Herro and Simone Fontecchio.
“Very straightforward trade. The Heat take an upside swing on Morant. The Grizzlies replace him with a more reliable but less talented guard in Herro. Fontecchio is cap filler. Do I think Morant necessarily makes sense for Miami? No. The Heat are running the very offensive system that Morant seemingly disliked in Memphis last year. But the Heat have been linked to Morant more than perhaps any other team,” Quinn wrote.
“This is what a Miami deal would probably look like. The Heat couldn’t justify giving up draft picks or real young talent for Morant given his play this season, but if they’re just swapping out Herro, it’s little more than an admission that the current team isn’t working and needs a shakeup. For Memphis, it’s just a fresh start without the distractions Morant has created in recent years.”
Heat, Grizzlies on collision course for Morant trade
Rant has been linked to the Heat, and momentum is beginning to build for a possible trade in the next couple of weeks. The only question that truly remains is what is Miami willing to part ways with in order to make this happen?
The Heat probably would not want to get rid of Hero if they didn’t have to. They might try to construct a deal that leads to them trading Terry Rozier’s contract along with a young prospect like Nikola Jovic or Kasparas Jakucionis, but Herro might be more valuable to the Grizzlies, especially because he is far more capable of taking on the lead role for a team than Jovic or Jakucionis.
The Grizzlies have plenty of future draft capital from the Desmond Bane trade, so that might not be their primary prerogative in the return package for a Morant deal. They might just need to get him to the highest bidder since the Morant drama has gotten to a point where it may be too far.
If the Heat were to offer up Herro, there probably won’t be another team willing to give more than that, so the Grizzlies should send Morant to Miami.