Three Reasons Kings Shouldn't Trade for Ja Morant — And One Reason They Should

Should the Sacramento Kings make a blockbuster trade to acquire Ja Morant?

Oct 29, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) against the Phoenix Suns at the Mortgage Matchup Center. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings are just 5-16 on the season, reaching low territory that they only had nightmares about heading into their 2025-26 campaign. Now, with struggles far worse than they expected, the franchise is certainly thinking about what the next step should be. Unfortunately, that "next step" might be the wrong step.

The Athletic's Sam Amick recently reported that the Kings will continue to monitor Ja Morant's situation with the Memphis Grizzlies as they ponder a blockbuster trade. However, would this be the right decision?

Nov 15, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles the ball in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. | David Richard-Imagn Images

Here are a couple of reasons why the Kings should not trade for Morant, and one devil's advocate reason why they could take the chance.

Why They Shouldn't: Ja Morant's lengthy injury history

As Morant is currently dealing with a right calf strain that has already sidelined him for eight consecutive games, we are promptly reminded about his poor injury history.

Morant has already missed ten of Memphis' first 22 games, and this comes one season after he played just 50 games and two seasons after he played just nine. Morant has not been able to stay healthy over the past several years, so why would the Kings take a huge swing on an injury-prone star?

People around the league believe Ja Morant, LaMelo Ball, and Trae Young all have “negative value” and wouldn’t be surprised if they were traded for one another, per @espn

"I wouldn't want any of them,"

"They all might have negative value,"

"When there are these sort of… pic.twitter.com/RdVzyp5trV

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 3, 2025

Sure, when healthy, Morant can be one of the top point guards in the NBA, but he hasn't even shown that this season. If the Kings are going to make some blockbuster deal to save their season, a non-healthy Morant certainly is not the answer.

Why They Shouldn't: Heading in the wrong direction

The Kings have won just five of their first 21 games and are on pace for just 19-20 wins on the season. Why would the Kings feel like making a huge trade for a 26-year-old declining star is the right move?

If anything, the Kings should be making trades to offload their stars and build toward the future, not bring in another star in a "win-now" attempt.

As it stands, the Kings should put their focus ahead of the trade deadline toward getting rid of guys like Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan, rather than bringing in more star-caliber talent to try to fit around them.

Why They Shouldn't: Far from the right fit

An NBA executive says Ja Morant is a “pain in the ass, injury-prone, and not good anymore,” and people around the league compare him to John Wall and Derrick Rose, per @espn

"‘The combination of pain in the ass, injury prone, not that good anymore and big contract is a bad… pic.twitter.com/9olPt0kZWk

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 3, 2025

Not only is this the wrong move from an injury and mindset standpoint, but is Morant even the right player if the Kings wanted to bring in a "win-now" star? If the Kings put Morant alongside guys like LaVine and Sabonis, they would not only have the worst defense in the NBA, but that would be the most poorly-constructed "big three" in league history.

If the Kings really wanted to make a big splash at the trade deadline, acquiring another star might not be a bad move. Whether it be a lower-tier player like Jonathan Kuminga or trying to make a push for a different star who could be a better fit in Sacramento, most options would work out better than forcing Morant into this system.

Why They Should: Because why not?

Well, there is not a real reason why the Kings should take a chance on Ja Morant, but the front office's mindset might be: because why not?

Despite all of the reasons listed above, there is a small chance that Morant in Sacramento could work out. When the Kings had De'Aaron Fox leading the offense, they actually saw a sliver of success. What happens if they put Morant in that role? If Morant were able to play at his best again, he could legitimately be the difference-maker for the Kings, but the addition still would not raise their ceiling too much.

The addition of Morant would likely take the Kings' ceiling to a first-round playoff exit, but maybe that is still good enough for this Kings' ownership that simply wants to be good enough to keep fans coming back.