As the trade deadline approaches, the New Orleans Pelicans have emerged as a potential landing spot for Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, according to Mike Scotto of HoopsHype.
The Pelicans are the latest team to show interest in Ja Morant, per @MikeAScotto
“Despite the production dip, several teams have recently expressed interest in trading Morant, including the Heat, Bucks, Kings, Raptors and Pelicans, league sources told HoopsHype. Within… pic.twitter.com/NRAtecOVeV
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 16, 2026
This is a very interesting wrinkle and would fit with previous reports that President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars wants to keep the team core intact after the deadline. Morant was selected just one pick later than Pelicans star Zion Williamson in the 2019 NBA draft, so combining the two could be a very intriguing tandem. Things get even more intriguing when you look at the rumored asking price for the former two-time All-Star.
What once would have been a high asking price has shrunk due to a combination of off-the-field issues, issues with Memphis’ coaching staff, injuries and poor play. Morant is posting career lows in field goal and three-point percentage, scoring just 19.0 points per game, which is his lowest average since his rookie season.
According to Marc Steins reports, the asking price for Morant is a first-round pick and a young player, which would be easily feasible for the Pelicans.
Is trading Morant worth the gamble?
I’m still in favor of the Pelicans blowing things up and completely rebuilding around Trey Murphy III, Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. But get a player who averaged 25 or more Three points per game in the first five years of his career for the reported low asking price could be worth the gamble.
Sure, Morant has had character issues throughout his NBA career, but it’s not hard to convince yourself that a change of scenery and teaming up with a friend in Zion Williamson could change that.
The mock trade I concocted has the Pelicans tendering Yves Missi, who is already embroiled in trade rumors, checking the “young player” box on the Grizzlies’ list of demands. With a protected future first-round pick, check the “first-round pick” box. And that includes both Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney to match salaries.
Obviously, trading Morant is unlikely to change the Pelicans’ season trajectory, as they are 8.5 games out of a play-in spot. But it would be more of a game for next season. Because they could use the remainder of the 2025-2026 campaign to build the chemistry to carry it into 2026-2027 and be ready to challenge for a playoff spot from day one.
While it’s uncertain whether the Pelicans will pull the trigger, it wouldn’t be a bad move for Dumars to acquire Morant at a low price. It would also make sense that he preached early on that he wanted to build a team that the fans could get behind and that would be competitive. The acquisition of Morant could help achieve that goal.
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