Could the Indiana Pacers get in the mix in a Ja Morant trade?

The relationship between the Memphis Grizzlies and Ja Morant is all but over. It appears that the former 2nd overall pick is on his way out, but what does that have to do with the Indiana Pacers?

As someone who covers the Indiana Pacers daily, when I heard that Ja Morant was on the trading block, I didn’t think anything of it. The Pacers are loaded at guard when fully healthy, and Morant is an expensive contract with a lot of baggage who makes zero sense for this Pacers roster.

But then I took a deeper look at the conversations about Morant, and I wondered: could the Indiana Pacers sneak in here as a third team?

Memphis currently has four centers on its roster and they are all playing well this season. Indiana is still looking for its long-term answer at the five, and recently traded with the Memphis Grizzlies in the offseason, where they were able to acquire Jay Huff, for two second round picks.

We’ve heard of six teams linked to Morant: Minnesota, Miami, Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Toronto, and Sacramento.

If any of these teams are looking to move one of their centers in a Morant deal, Indiana could engage in conversations to see if it could be a third team to help facilitate the deal.

Of the six teams reportedly interested, Minnesota’s Naz Reid, Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton, or Miami’s Kel’el Ware would fit the best in Indy.

If Memphis prefers to keep the centers they acquire in a Morant deal, that could also open up doors to trade players already on their roster.

Indiana has local ties to two centers in Memphis. Jaren Jackson Jr. who played his high school basketball at Park Tudor School, winning two state titles, and Zach Edey, a two-time National Player of the Year, who attended Purdue University.

Jaren Jackson Jr.

jjj — Dec 28, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (8) boxes out Washington Wizards guard Malaki Branham (8) during the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Of the two, Jaren Jackson Jr. fits the Indiana Pacers’ system like a glove. The former Defensive Player of the Year averages 18 points and 6 rebounds a game.

He makes roughly 35-million dollars this season but it jumps up to 49-million the following year. This would be the time to trade for him, since it is easier to match a lower salary, but it forces Indiana to trade multiple significant pieces of their title run team to make the math work.

Including him in a Morant trade would be extremely unlikely, but there is curiosity around the league that Memphis might go into a complete rebuild after Morant is dealt.

Zach Edey

For Edey, his rookie contract is much easier to match. He makes just 6.04M in 2025-26, 6.33M in 2026-27, and 8.06M in 2027-28. He is averaging 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, but he’s only played in 11 of 39 games due to injury.

Indiana could trade Bennedict Mathurin, who will be a restricted free agent this summer for Zach Edey, but Memphis would have to include someone like GG Jackson Jr. for salaries to match.

If Memphis has no interest in trading for Mathurin, a Jarace Walker plus picks deal for Edey would work straight up. But again, it would all come down to what Memphis wants in return and if they view Edey as untouchable in trade talks.

I think Edey has shown enough flashes in his early career that Memphis would be hesitant to trade him at this moment, but one player I think Indiana could inquire about is backup center, Santi Aldama.

Santi Aldama

Aldama makes $52.5 million total over the next 3 years. This season, he makes $18.49 million, and the following two seasons he makes $17.01 million.

At 25-years old, the 7-footer from Spain averages 14.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. This season, Aldama is shooting almost 34% from 3 on almost 5 attempts per game.

He has played in all 39 games this year and has started in 8 of them. As a starter, his scoring jumps significantly to 18.1 points per game on 50.9% from the field and 38.5% from 3.

To acquire Aldama, Indiana would have to offer something like Jarace Walker, Isaiah Jackson, and Ben Sheppard to make the deal work salary-wise.

Final Thoughts

The Indiana Pacers clearly have not found their long-term center, and with Memphis' depth at the position, this could be the perfect time for Indiana to strike a deal.

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