The Trae Young trade is being called a Ja Morant trade blueprint, but the Hawks' minimal return shows why the Memphis Grizzlies should brace for a hard summer.
The Memphis Grizzlies face the need to address Ja Morant's future this offseason after placing him in trade discussions in February. Many have compared what Morant might generate on the trade market to what the Atlanta Hawks gained in return for Trae Young in January.
Atlanta moved Young to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum's expiring contract and forward Corey Kispert with no draft picks attached. Many consider that trade package as the kind of return rival executives view as reasonable for Morant.
For Memphis, that comparison should be a warning rather than an example to follow.
Brian Windhorst's 'Negative Value' Diagnosis
ESPN's Brian Windhorst summed up the league's view of Morant's market on "Get Up" in February.
"I think he's got, what they call in the league, 'negative value,'" Windhorst said.
The biggest concern is whether Morant will actually be on the floor. The contract structure and his on-court decline only make it worse.
Morant has played in only 20 of the Grizzlies' games this season. He has appeared in 79 games over the past three seasons combined.
That's a tough sell for any team taking on max-salary money in the apron era.
Production Numbers Reflect the Slide
The on-court decline has not helped his trade value. Morant is averaging 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game. He is shooting 41.0% from the field and 23.5% from three-point range, both career lows.
Trae Young's Cap Relief Doesn't Translate to Ja Morant
Comparing the Trae Young trade to a potential Morant deal also gives Morant too much credit. Young is older by 11 months and has two more All-Star nods, yet Atlanta basically dealt him as an expiring contract. The $49 million player option Young holds for 2026-27 lets Washington move on at the end of the season if it chooses.
Morant doesn't come with anything similar. He's owed a guaranteed $42.2 million next season and $44.9 million the year after. Whoever trades for him is committing to $87.1 million over two years.
Young's contract worked as cap relief for the Hawks. Meanwhile, Morant's contract locks the next team into two more years of guaranteed money on a guard who has not been consistently healthy since 2023.
Why the Memphis Grizzlies Still Have Leverage
The Grizzlies do have something working in their favor that Atlanta did not.
Memphis controls 12 future first-round picks over the next seven years after acquiring multiple first-rounders in the Desmond Bane trade with the Orlando Magic last summer and the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade with the Utah Jazz at the February deadline.
General manager Zach Kleiman has options because of that draft capital. He doesn't need to take whatever offer mirrors what Atlanta accepted.
The market for Morant should grow once rival teams get a full offseason to do medical evaluations and figure out how a ball-dominant guard fits into their plans.
Memphis can't treat the Trae Young trade as a goal if McCollum and Kispert without picks is the going rate for a 26-year-old two-time All-Star.