The Ja Morant rumors have only intensified since the initial report that the Memphis Grizzlies began looking into trading him. Morant definitely has a checkered past and is expensive, but declining contenders could definitely talk themselves into acquiring him.
Know who fits that bill? The Milwaukee Bucks. They have fallen on hard times this season despite Giannis Antetokounmpo still being as invincible as ever. Morant could solve that problem, but it comes at a price.
What Would the Bucks Have To Give Up To Get Ja Morant?
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto revealed that the Bucks are among Morant’s several suitors.
“Despite the production dip, several teams have registered interest in trading for Morant recently, including the Heat, Bucks, Kings, Raptors, and Pelicans, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote.
He explained that while the Bucks want Morant, they’d have to give up a few assets to get their hands on him.
“Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks have canvassed the trade market in search of talent upgrades around Antetokounmpo, including the possibility of acquiring Morant. In trade discussions for Morant, the Grizzlies have desired Milwaukee’s 2031 or 2032 first-round pick and Most Improved Player of the Year candidate Ryan Rollins, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote.
To trade for Morant’s expensive contract, the Bucks will have to match salaries to do it, which Scotto explained how they could.
“The Bucks, meanwhile, have gauged the trade value of forwards Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis on the market across the league, sources said. Both players could be included in a Morant trade to make the salary requirements work under CBA rules, but would leave Milwaukee thin in the frontcourt.”
The Grizzlies are targeting one of the Bucks’ first-round picks and Ryan Rollins in trade talks with Milwaukee centered around Ja Morant, per @MikeAScotto
“Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks have canvassed the trade market in search of talent upgrades around Antetokounmpo,… pic.twitter.com/4apYf4Mdqo
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 16, 2026
Desperate times call for desperate measures. The Bucks are 17-24, which puts them out of the play-in race. Hence, they need a miracle to get them back to the top of the East. It’s why Morant is a swing for the fences for them. The fit definitely isn’t perfect; for how talented Morant is, a floor spacer he is not, and that’s problematic when playing next to Antetokounmpo.
However, the best counterpoint to that assertion is simple: You got any better ideas? This is not a foolproof plan, but the Bucks are pretty much out of options at this point. Morant could be even more disastrous than the Damian Lillard era was, but guess what? It’s already a catastrophe in Wisconsin. A Morant trade is a ray of hope, even if it could be snuffed immediately.
