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NBA insider gives eye-opening update on a possible Ja Morant-Timberwolves trade

Per Sam Amick, the Timberwolves are monitoring the Ja Morant situation.
Eamon Cassels
Eamon Cassels

Dunking With Wolves

Detroit Pistons v Memphis Grizzlies / Justin Ford/GettyImages

After Ja Morant looked disengaged in the fourth quarter of last Friday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, and followed this up by blaming the coaching staff, trade speculation started to heat up. Minnesota Timberwolves fans openly discussed the possibility of trading for the Memphis Grizzlies star. Admittedly, it's a controversial idea among Wolves fans, but something I'm personally on board with.

Regardless, Sam Amick of The Athletic gave the first real update that a Morant-Wolves trade could be in the cards. The well-respected reporter noted that the Wolves and the Sacramento Kings are monitoring the situation while noting the Houston Rockets aren't interested in him.

Trading for Ja Morant would be a calculated risk for the Wolves

I have labeled Morant as a "dream target" for the Wolves in the sense that he'd be the highest upside solution to Minnesota's point guard problem. Simply put on a team with title aspirations, a 38-year-old Mike Conley, a second-year Rob Dillingham, and Bones Hyland likely won't cut it. As a result, it's fair to expect that the Wolves pursue a point guard upgrade at February's trade deadline.

Tim Connelly has never shied away from big moves, and a Morant trade would be on brand for the trusted executive. There's no doubt that a Morant-Anthony Edwards backcourt would be extremely dynamic and is a championship-winning recipe. The Wolves lack a point guard who can create for himself and others; that's Morant's exact skill set.

This isn't sourced, but my hunch is that the Wolves would be hesitant to part ways with clear core players, including Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels. Morant's talent is undeniable, but he also hasn't played 65-plus games since his rookie season and has character issues. He is also averaging the fewest points (20.4) since his rookie season while shooting below 40 percent from the field. On top of this, Ja has an upcoming contract extension that needs to be worked out.

Now I think the character issues would go away as he'd be stepping into a winning culture where he's not the franchise player. Nevertheless, I only see the Wolves being interested in Morant if it's a buy-low situation, and understandably so. The Wolves' lack of draft capital complicates things. Still, depending on Morant's market, which has been described as "not robust," the Wolves could very much be in play.


Another scenario that must be accounted for, which could tilt in the Wolves' favor, is if Morant tries to force his way to Minnesota. If the Wolves remain the lone contender interested in him, it's hard to imagine that Morant wouldn't want to land in the Twin Cities, right?

Ultimately, the Morant situation will be worth monitoring for Timberwolves fans, especially as we know that they have some level of interest in him.

Eamon Cassels

Eamon Cassels

Eamon Cassels is the site expert for Dunking with Wolves. He also serves as a contributor for FanSided.com and Ebony Bird. Cassels is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire who has been writing about the NBA since 2023. He aims to provide authentic and detailed coverage. His work has also been featured on MSN, Yahoo, Yardbarker, and NewsBreak. Eamon hosts a weekly podcast called The Cassels Cast and has served as a credentialed media member for Maine Celtics games. Cassels has previously covered the Celtics and worked as an editor for LastWordOnSports.com. Outside of sports, Cassels is an avid fan of rap music and The Sopranos.