The New Orleans Pelicans had a largely underwhelming season in 2024-25 as they finished 21-61 and have the fourth-best odds of landing the top-overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies finished eighth in the Western Conference and were swept in the first-round of the postseason as Ja Morant once again struggled to stay on the court.
While the Grizzlies have insisted that they do not have plans to move on from the two-time All-Star, there are reportedly people in basketball circles who believe Morant could be available for the right price. A recent trade proposal suggested that the Pelicans could look to pair the top-two picks of the 2019 NBA Draft - Zion Williamson and Morant.
"Pelicans receive: Ja Morant Grizzlies receive: Dejounte Murray, Herbert Jones and a 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected via IND)," Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley wrote Wednesday. "While New Orleans could probably be talked into trading Zion Williamson at the right price, the Pels still seem intrigued by his what-if possibilities should he ever manage to avoid the injury bug. And if they ever coax a healthy campaign out of him, they have to make the most of it. So, why not lean even more into these boom-or-bust hopes by reuniting Williamson with his old AAU teammate? If they could just stay upright, they'd destroy defenses in transition and overpower them on pick-and-rolls. There is legitimate three-headed-monster potential with those two and Trey Murphy III, plus New Orleans would still have a solid supporting cast around it."
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Buckley added that a deal with the Pelicans would allow Memphis to maximize their competitiveness if they do decide to end Morant's tenure with the franchise. New Orleans will have, at worst, a top-eight pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and have a 12.5% chance to win the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.
It is unclear how their approach to the offseason would change if they are able to walk away from the draft with the perceived franchise player. Morant appeared in just 50 games this season and had his lowest scoring output since 2020-21, his second year in the league. He averaged 23.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field, 30.9% from three-point range and 82.4% from the free-throw line.
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