Ja Morant reunites with buddy Edwards in Minnesota amid trade rumors

It remains to be seen whether Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant suits up against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, but it’s safe to say both teams would love to see him out there.

The same probably can’t be said about Anthony Edwards, also listed as ‘questionable’ on the initial injury reports. The visiting Griz would probably benefit if the NBA’s eighth-leading scorer sits out one more game with a nagging foot injury considering they've bombed against teams with winning records, entering Wednesday’s game 1-12 against teams that currently have winning records.

Morant is dealing with an ankle sprain and could miss his 11th game of the season after sitting out 10 with a calf sprain. Following a dreadful start that included clashing with new head coach Tuomas Iisalo and getting suspended for a game for conduct detrimental to the team, speculation that Morant could be available saw multiple teams reportedly reach out to inquire what it would take to pry him from Memphis.

Timberwolves can put together attractive package for Morant

Minnesota is among those potential suitors, although it would have to part ways with a frontcourt piece like Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels or Naz Reid to make any deal work salary-wise. Rudy Gobert also fits, but wouldn’t be attractive to a Grizzlies team that is already committed to building around Zach Edey.

Landing McDaniels would be ideal, but if Memphis ends up moving on from Morant it’s because it would be ready to proceed in a new direction and therefore probably wouldn’t be able to dictate terms. Minnesota has other pieces like the expiring contracts of Mike Conley Jr., Joe Ingles, Bones Hyland and Jaylen Clark, not to mention the rights to former lottery pick Rob Dillingham and 2025 selection Joan Beringer on their rookie deals that could also entice the Grizzlies.

The Timberwolves would love to get a good look at Morant against their personnel, particularly since he plays a position where they’re hurting. Conley, a Grizzlies legend who would conceivably be a lock to be included in any deal that would send Morant to Minneapolis, remains sidelined with a sore Achilles and hasn’t played since Dec. 8.

Issues at the point could be driving force for Minnesota seeking deal

The 38-year-old Conley is shooting a career-low 36 percent from the field and averaging career lows in points (5.3) and assists (3.2). While his leadership and experience remains invaluable, a team hoping to compete for a championship could use an upgrade at the point.

Donte DiVincenzo isn’t a true point guard but has seen the bulk of the minutes there. Dillingham had fallen out of Chris Finch’s rotation until injuries set in. He’s still seeing only a handful of minutes and has seemingly lost some of the explosive fire that made him a lottery pick after an impressive freshman year at Kentucky.

Hyland, who Denver gave up on due after a pair of promising seasons, never panned out with the Clippers and has only recently started putting together some solid stretches.

Morant may be auditioning for new suitors over next few weeks

Morant shot 10-for-60 from 3-point range prior to returning from his injury and has already boosted that percentage, so concerns about his shooting prowess are overblown. He’s had turnover issues, but already put together flashes of brilliance since returning, blocking shots and getting to the rim with his jaw-dropping athleticism. He had 10 assists in his first game back against Utah and has great playmaking instincts that would be an asset with the Wolves, who have had a tendency to get bogged down offensively.

Edwards and Morant, both South Carolina natives, are friends who have a great relationship, so that would be a plus. With Minnesota looking to make waves now that new owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have officially taken over, many league observers believe the team is looking to make a splash and would be the most interested suitor in a difference-maker like Morant.

It will be interesting to see what kind of reception Morant receives from Timberwolves fans if he does play. Memphis isn’t in town again until March 3, so there’s certainly a possibility he could greet the Grizzlies in his new digs if the next few weeks go a certain way.