The Memphis Grizzlies have already made one major trade with the Orlando Magic. A new proposal would take that relationship much further by sending Ja Morant to Orlando, too.
Fadeaway World’s Fran Leiva proposed a deal that would send Morant to the Magic in exchange for Jalen Suggs, Tristan da Silva, Goga Bitadze and a 2032 first-round pick that is top-eight protected. The deal would reunite Morant with former Grizzlies teammate Desmond Bane, whom Memphis traded to Orlando in 2025.
For Memphis, the question is not whether Morant is the best player in the proposal. He is.
The real question is whether the Grizzlies would ever decide that a younger defensive guard, frontcourt depth, another first-round pick and a cleaner long-term timeline are enough to consider moving on from the Morant era.
Jalen Suggs Would Give Grizzlies a Defensive Reset Piece
Suggs would not replace Morant’s explosiveness, star power or offensive ceiling. Few guards could.
But he would give Memphis a different kind of building block. Suggs is a defense-first guard who could fit next to multiple roster types, rather than forcing the entire offense to revolve around his paint pressure. That matters if the Grizzlies are trying to build a steadier team around Jaren Jackson Jr., Zach Edey and the draft capital they have already collected.
The Grizzlies’ decision to trade Bane to Orlando for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four future first-round picks and a pick swap showed that Memphis was at least willing to move a core player for a larger asset package. A Morant deal would be far more dramatic, but the same basic question would apply: how much does the front office value flexibility over continuity?
Suggs would be the centerpiece. Da Silva would add a young forward on a manageable deal. Bitadze would give Memphis another big behind or alongside Edey. The 2032 first-round pick would be distant, but distant picks can become valuable if the team sending them out eventually ages out of contention.
That would not be a star-for-star return. It would be a reset package.
Ja Morant’s Contract Adds to the Memphis Question
Morant is still the player most responsible for changing the Grizzlies’ ceiling. When he is right, he gives Memphis a rim-pressure engine, a late-game creator and a face of the franchise.
That is why trading him would be so difficult.
But Morant’s contract and availability make any trade proposal more complicated than a pure talent conversation. Spotrac lists Morant on a five-year, $197.23 million contract, with a $42.17 million cap hit in 2026-27 and a $44.89 million number in 2027-28 before he can reach free agency in 2028.
That money is manageable if Morant is playing like an All-NBA guard. It becomes harder to build around if the Grizzlies are unsure about health, consistency or the long-term direction of the roster.
That is where Suggs makes some sense. He would not give Memphis Morant’s offensive ceiling, but he would lower the volatility and help preserve the defensive identity that has defined the Grizzlies at their best.
Trading Morant Would Signal a New Grizzlies Era
There is a clear argument for Memphis to reject this kind of proposal.
Morant remains the most talented player in the deal, and moving him for Suggs, two role players and one protected first-round pick would invite questions about whether the Grizzlies sold too low. If Memphis ever trades Morant, the return has to look like a deliberate franchise reset, not a reaction to uncertainty.
That is what makes the Magic proposal interesting but imperfect.
The Grizzlies have already moved Bane to Orlando. Sending Morant there, too, would not be a retool. It would mark the end of one era and the start of another built more around Jackson, Edey, Suggs and future picks.
For a franchise that has spent years riding Morant’s highs and lows, that would be a massive decision, but no longer an impossible one.
Grizzlies Trade Proposal Sends Ja Morant to Magic for $150-Million Playmaker