Pelicans must avoid costly Ja Morant trade gamble as rumors heat up

With the 2026 offseason now officially underway for the New Orleans Pelicans, the rumor mill has already started up.

One of the rumors that appears to have some legitimacy heading into this summer is that the Memphis Grizzlies will part ways with superstar guard Ja Morant. The 26-year-old had an incredibly down season with the Grizzlies, averaging just 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game while shooting 41 percent from the field. The combination of Memphis moving on from Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane in the span of six months, along with Morant’s issues with management, has many believing this offseason will bring an end to a 7-year era. 

According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Morant has reportedly told people that he is done playing in Memphis.

So how does this relate to the Pelicans? Throughout the 2025-26 season, there were rumors of Joe Dumars' interest in acquiring the No. 2 from the 2019 NBA draft. With Morant back in trade rumors, many Pelicans fans on social media have been pushing for New Orleans to acquire the disgruntled star. Honestly, that would be one of the worst decisions the front office could make this summer.

New Orleans finally has stability, leadership, and potential in the backcourt, so taking the risk of acquiring Morant and ruining that isn’t worth it.

Morant is a gamble not worth taking

All signs point to a trade package for Morant that will be similar to the one the Hawks received for Trae Young early in the year. Obviously, being able to buy low like that on a player who was arguably a top-10 player at 22 years old is an exciting idea, especially for a small-market team. But the risk isn’t worth the reward. 

Over the last several years, Morant's on-court and off-court actions have tanked his play and directly impacted the Grizzlies' future. For a team like the Pelicans, who are coming off back-to-back sub-30 win seasons, it isn’t worth it, especially with two guards as committed to New Orleans as Murray and Fears are.

In the 14 games Murray appeared in, his impact wasn’t unnoticed as his presence, not just as a table setter but as a leader, was needed all season. The way he commanded the New Orleans offense and team in general is the type of leadership that a less mature Morant couldn’t bring. While some teams can look past a lack of maturity or leadership when it comes to Morant, a young team like the Pelicans can’t.

Bringing in Morant also would directly impact the development of rookie guard Jeremiah Fears, who really started to hit his stride as the season came to a close. By avoiding trading for Ja, New Orleans can have a backcourt that blends young with old and creates a healthy environment for Fears to level up in his sophomore season.

The Pelicans haven’t had this type of backcourt stability since 2017-18 with Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo, which makes throwing that away for a risky buy-low opportunity a move New Orleans can’t make. This team has bigger issues than their guard spot—they are weak in the middle and lack floor spacers. Two things a 6-foot-2 guard that shot 23.5 percent from three last season won't fix.

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