Trade Idea: Memphis - New Orleans

[slightly biased bias fan]

Memphis Grizzlies: Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole

New Orleans Pelicans: Ja Morant, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

- - -

Grizzlies

Poole
Wells
Coward
Williamson
Jackson Jr


Pelicans

Morant
Caldwell-Pope
Murphy III
Jones
Looney

[slightly biased bias fan]

A visibly annoyed Ja Morant said, Go ask the coaching staff when asked about what went wrong for him tonight.

Asked what the team could have done better, he said, according to them, probably do not play me, apparently alluding to something that had been said in the locker room after the game.

Chris Herrington
(The Daily Memphian)

[Goldstar88]

That would be an interesting trade. Both guys do seem like they need a change of scenery.

[Goldstar88]

The Memphis Grizzlies suspended star point guard Ja Morant for one game because of conduct detrimental to the team.

[moiso]

Seems like Zion is the much better player to me.  Morant still can't shoot.  Morant is too fragile to keep attacking the rim, and he doesn't shoot well enough to play any other way.

[slightly biased bias fan]

That would be an interesting trade. Both guys do seem like they need a change of scenery.

Yeah that is my thinking too.

[slightly biased bias fan]

Seems like Zion is the much better player to me.  Morant still can't shoot.  Morant is too fragile to keep attacking the rim, and he doesn't shoot well enough to play any other way.

Morant has played almost 100 more NBA games than Zion.

The worrying trend for Morant this season is his stats across the board are down. Given he is not carrying a major injury, I think it speaks to being unhappy with his current situation.

I think both teams would win this trade.

[Who]

I don't think it is a good trade for either team.

Memphis already have a PF in JJ and a good young center in Z Edey. JJJ hasn't performed well as a full time center. I see him as a part time C. Start at PF and split time at C. I guess you could play Zion at SF. That might work.

New Orleans just drafted their PG of the future in Jeremiah Fears. He has started well for them. He has backers there. He has impressed them since joining. They see a bright future for him. So I don't think they trade their franchise player (Zion) who plays a position of need (PF) for a star who plays at the same position as their brightest prospect (Fears).

[Who]

There was an interesting trade idea I saw. That New Orleans should go after Morant ... but not by trading Zion for Morant. Instead trading other pieces to pair Morant with Zion.

I like Jeremiah Fears as a starting point for a trade package. A PG of the future for Memphis. A young guy to go along with Z Edey, C Coward, Jaylen Wells. JJJ is still young. New Orleans would have to give up addditional value.

There are a quite a few different combinations that New Orleans could come up with (to add to the J Fears trade package). Trey Murphy is a possibility although I probably wouldn't do that if I were NOP. Too much value going out the door. Maybe Herb Jones, some cap filler, some future. Or Jordan Poole and more future picks. Or a package of Jordan Poole, Fears, D Queen with no future picks.

If you keep Trey Muphy, he'd be an ideal 3rd option behind Ja and Zion. That is a nice Big Three. That is something real to work with. To build a high end team around. Rest of the roster would need work but that is strong core to work with.