Rockets linked, but not expressing interest in Grizzlies’ Ja Morant

Ja Morant trade talk isn’t going away. But Houston is not rushing into anything. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line wrote that rival executives have naturally circled the Rockets as a potential suitor for Morant after Fred VanVleet’s season-ending knee injury. Houston needs backcourt creation. Morant is 26. So on paper it lines up. But Fischer indicated Houston is in wait-and-see mode for now. The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported the same thing earlier this week. The Rockets want more games. They want a larger sample. They want to see how this version of the roster plays before they even consider anything big. Translation? Yes, people around the league have connected those dots — but Houston is not acting on them. Meanwhile, Memphis is 3-6 and already suspended Morant once this season. Jaren Jackson Jr. is still struggling to find his spot in Tuomas Iisalo’s offense. And the Grizzlies are waiting for multiple rotation pieces to get healthy before they make any decisions of their own. So these conversations will keep simmering. And Morant’s body language will continue to get clipped, slowed down, analyzed and shared. But if you’re looking for one clear headline from Fischer’s reporting, it’s this: Houston is not in pursuit mode. Not yet.