Articles by Jedd Pagaduan

Technology

Timberwolves trade proposal to Grizzlies teams up Ja Morant with Anthony Edwards

The Ja Morant-led Memphis Grizzlies may not have hit rock bottom yet, but they surely are well on their way. On Wednesday night, the Grizzlies suffered their fourth straight defeat, a 124-109 loss to the Houston Rockets. Morant, in particular, appears to be very much checked out. He put up another woeful shooting night, making just six of his 19 field-goal attempts for 17 points, and his poor play is bleeding into the entire squad as they seemingly could not buy a win to save their lives. It is getting very close to danger time for the Grizzlies. Morant doesn’t appear to be in the best of terms with head coach Tuomas Iisalo, and there seems to be so much discontent on his end that Memphis may end up having no choice but to move on from him for the betterment of both sides. To that end, a team like the Minnesota Timberwolves may be able to pounce. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Timberwolves are one of a few teams monitoring the dicey Morant-Grizzlies situation. The Timberwolves have made it to the Conference Finals for two consecutive years, so they must be doing something right as an organization. Monitoring the Morant situation does not mean that they are interested whatsoever in bringing him in. In fact, it is very much unlikely that the Timberwolves even engage with the Grizzlies on trade talks for Morant. Minnesota is currently above the first apron and is only $3 million below the second, which means that they have to match salaries perfectly (or at least send out more than they take) for them to even get Morant on board. But if ever they decide that the risk that comes with taking on Morant is worth it, here is the best trade package they must dangle. Timberwolves and Grizzlies strike three-team trade involving Nets Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Timberwolves receive: Ja Morant Grizzlies receive: Julius Randle, Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, two second-round picks, 2032 pick swap (protected for top-10, will convert into two second-round picks if swap not used) Nets receive: Brandon Clarke, two second-round picks This is the best offer Minnesota must make © Brad Rempel-Imagn Images As the old adage goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The Randle trade last year seemed to derail the Timberwolves at first. But they figured it out towards the end of the year, with Donte DiVincenzo, the other piece that Minnesota got in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, being productive as well. If anything, the Timberwolves would want to stand pat. Their cap situation makes it difficult to make any more adjustments to their roster anyway, so it’s best for them to just ride out their core — especially when they’ve been so successful over the past few years, being one of the final four teams standing. The Timberwolves’ point guard situation isn’t in need of fixing as well. DiVincenzo has been a great combo guard alongside Anthony Edwards; Edwards has been taking on more and more playmaking and ballhandling responsibilities, making DiVincenzo, one of the best volume three-point shooters in the NBA, an ideal fit alongside him. And then there’s Mike Conley, the veteran who simply cannot stop being productive. His body needs more care than ever, which is why he’s coming off the bench and playing more sparsely. But the leadership, smarts, and overall good vibes he provides to the Timberwolves locker room are so invaluable. This is why adding Morant does not make a ton of sense for the Timberwolves. Morant might get along with Edwards just fine, but the former has a track record of pouting when things don’t go his way, not to mention his off-court troubles that have derailed the Grizzlies over the past few seasons. The Timberwolves have such a harmonious locker room, and this has powered their incredible past two seasons. Adding Morant, who doesn’t address a position of need anyway, seems a bit unnecessary — especially if it costs them Randle, who has been phenomenal to begin the year for Minnesota. Minnesota is also high on Dillingham, but they need to trade him away in any Morant trade if they were to keep the likes of Naz Reid, DiVincenzo, and Conley (there is no way that the Timberwolves are going to trade Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Jaden McDaniels away). Dillingham, who’s just in his sophomore season, will be of interest for the Grizzlies as another point guard they could develop to perhaps take the mantle following Morant’s departure. Leonard Miller is a throw-in, and the 2032 pick swap is top-10 protected, which insures them in the event of a bad 2031-32 campaign. Again, it is worth mentioning that there is no way the Timberwolves do this. Morant’s stock is at an all-time low, which could be a buy-low opportunity, but he may not be the kind of co-star Minnesota would want to pair Edwards with anyway. They’re better off saving whatever’s left of their trade assets to acquire someone who fits better with the team both on and off the court. Memphis to sell low on Ja Morant? Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Morant has been the Grizzlies’ franchise cornerstone alongside Jaren Jackson Jr. since 2019. He transformed the franchise almost immediately, and in his third season, he already had Memphis as the two-seed in the West. But since then, the Grizzlies have been stumbling. Morant’s gun issues and questionable behavior off the court during the 2022-23 season landed him in hot water with the NBA, he was suspended for 25 games and then tore his labrum shortly after the following year, and then during the 2024-25 campaign, the Grizzlies fell out with former head coach Taylor Jenkins and sputtered en route to a first-round exit at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now, the Grizzlies’ floor general appears to have already soured on Iisalo beyond repair. Memphis could always decide to jettison the head coach to appease their star player, but the front office appears to be huge believers in Iisalo if they decided to give him the job without even scouring the coaching market for a potentially more suitable option. But at this point, is Morant even worth the headache? It would be one thing if the Grizzlies star is playing his heart out. But he’s been dreadful on the court as well. He’s shooting 28.6 percent from the field over his past three games and appears to want to be elsewhere every time he’s on the hardwood. Of course, the Grizzlies believe in Morant; they have to. He’s the team’s highest-paid player at present (he will be taking a backseat to Jackson in the salary department), and they have constructed the roster around him. He’s also only 26 years of age, so he should be in the prime of his career. There’s a chance that Morant is simply sandbagging with the hopes of getting the change he desires, be it Iisalo’s departure or a trade from Memphis altogether. He might turn it up and make the Grizzlies regret ever agitating him. Nonetheless, this trade package is the best it’s gonna get for the Grizzlies from the Timberwolves. Randle is a tough rebounder, so he could make it so that Jackson plays center and they won’t be outrebounded. Dillingham is a good prospect to take a chance on, while Miller is the exact kind of lengthy wing that Memphis specializes in honing into a valuable contributor. Getting off of Clarke’s contract amid his injury could be helpful as well. Acquiring just two second-round picks and a pick swap that may not convey may not nearly be enough. But Morant’s trade value is in the gutter, and his reputation in the mud.