The Miami Heat have long been in search of a franchise cornerstone star. Pat Riley has never shied away from making a splash move when one presents itself. Could he find another splash ahead of the NBA trade deadline this year?
With that in mind, a new potential idea has been brought up for the Heat to consider.
Ja Morant’s situation with the Memphis Grizzlies has become something to watch. Following his most recent suspension from the team, there are some who believe that he could look for a way out.
If that scenario does unfold, Miami could be an ideal trade suitor for Morant.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report put together a list of potential trade destinations for Morant. Of course, the Heat were firmly on that list as an option.
In his trade idea, Pincus suggested that Miami could trade Tyler Herro and an $8.4 million trade exception to the Grizzlies in exchange for Morant.
“Morant may not be an immediate fit based on the Heat’s current offensive system,” Pincus wrote. “But the franchise could take the risk on his elite talent on the hope that their famed work-ethic-above-all-else culture offsets any flaws.”
Throughout the early stages of the 2025-26 NBA season in Memphis, Morant has played in six games. He has averaged 20.8 points per game to go along with 6.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and a steal. Morant has shot 40.6 percent from the floor and just 15.6 percent from three-point range.
At 26 years old, Morant is still more than capable of being a piece that a franchise can build around for years to come. For the Heat, that is something that they would likely have high interest in acquiring.
Whether or not Morant will be made available for trade at any point in the near future remains unknown. It’s possible that the Grizzlies and their star guard will be able to repair the issues in their relationship.
However, if Memphis and Morant can’t make up and continue forward, Miami should be ready to pounce. He would bring the kind of franchise talent that the Heat have not had since the days of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.
Expect to hear a lot of rumors and speculation about Morant’s status in the coming days. Keep an eye on the Heat as a team who could monitor the situation extremely closely.
