Ja Morant led the Memphis Grizzlies to their first playoff series victory in nearly a decade during his third season. But things haven’t been the same after that memorable 2021-22 campaign. Underwhelming team performance and inconsistent play over the last few years could have the star point guard on the trade block.
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Bleacher Report‘s Andy Bailey proposed a scenario where Morant lands with the Miami Heat in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr, Pelle Larsson, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2031 pick swap.
It would certainly be a blockbuster, as Miami is searching for a legitimate first option while Memphis is debating whether Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane are more important pieces of their future. Shannon Sharpe, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and the Nightcap crew are all intrigued by the idea but understand why it could be a tempting situation for Morant.
In recent years, Ja has made headlines more for his off-court troubles than he has for his performance, which is a problem. Sharpe, Ocho, Joe Johnson, and Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell all agreed that if Morant were to end up in a place like Miami, discipline would be the key to his success.
“Hey … y’all know you gotta have some discipline playing down there in Miami, now,” Johnson stated.
“Oh, yeah, [Ja] good. He good. He gonna be with me,” Ocho replied, earning a shocked reaction from Johnson. “Who he gonna be with?” the journeyman guard questioned.
“With me. You just heard the key words, right? You said discipline, right? Who better to hang with than somebody that don’t go nowhere at all? All I do is play video games,” Ocho explained.
The Cincinnati Bengals legend, admitting to being a homebody, opened up an opportunity for Sharpe to get a jab in.
“So why would he want to hang out with you?” Sharpe asked Ocho, who was in disbelief at the question.
“The discipline. What are you talking about? That’s what we talking about, Unc,” Ocho replied. “I like steak, you like pizza. Why we hanging out?” Sharpe rebuffed. Ocho was adamant that his house was the right place for Ja to be, though.
If Morant were to get shipped to Miami, he would certainly need to exert some extra effort to keep himself in line. If the two-time All-Star couldn’t avoid temptations playing in a city like Memphis, the bustling beach life definitely won’t be any easier for him. But unlike Ocho, the rest of the Nightcap crew didn’t believe a babysitter was the solution.
Ja has gotten reprimanded for his firearm-featuring Instagram lives on more than one occasion, but his talent is undeniable. Once regarded as possibly the NBA’s next great point guard, he’s still worth the risk, especially for the proposed asking price.
Miami has some solid young talent, but if parting ways with it gets this star-hungry franchise the alpha it needs, they may just have to pull the trigger — no pun intended.
