Ja Morant has had a turbulent start to the season. With his recent suspension from the Memphis Grizzlies for “conduct detrimental to the team,” along with his dicey comments after multiple games, trade chatter has quickly surrounded the star point guard. Some fans have argued for a potential trade to the Miami Heat, a setting that might reignite the guard’s fire, but not everyone is buying it, including veteran insider Kevin O’Connor.

O’Connor, on his podcast, shut down the rumor, arguing that Morant and Miami would conflict, not based on personality or culture, but offensive philosophy. “He didn’t like playing last year in the Taylor Jenkins offense with Noah LaRoche,” O’Connor said, pointing to how LaRoche was brought into Memphis last year to balance out their offense instead of overreliance on their stars.

He added, “Not a lot of pick and roll, not a lot of screening, a lot of off-ball motion. He hated that… So you’re telling me he’s going to go to Miami, where they hired Noah LaRoche as a consultant running a very similar offense? I don’t think Miami makes a lot of sense.”

The statement showcased what has already occurred. Head coach Taylor Jenkins brought in LaRoche to empower the role-players, which meant moving to a more fluid, motion-based offense, a style that kept Memphis afloat in the standings when Morant sat due to injury, but downplayed his pick-and-roll dominant style once he returned. The Grizzlies ran the lowest number of the pick-and-roll possessions per game out of any team in the league. It unlocked the team’s young players and spacing, but resulted in a frustrated star. Many reports about philosophical differences between Morant and Jenkins had surfaced, with Morant wanting the ball in his hands more often.

Ultimately, Jenkins was fired with just six games remaining in the regular season, with team manager Zach Kleiman stating that he decided on the move because, “Urgency is a core principle of ours.”

Now, Miami is running that same offense, helped by their roster construction built around sharing the rock, and no ball dominant players to muddle the system. With a team that prides itself on a team-first mindset and culture, O’Connor has suggested that the Heat’s structure simply isn’t built for a player who’s needs to dominate possessions to win games.

Western Conference Teams Monitoring Ja Morant’s Situation as Market Value Dips

Even with concern around Ja Morant’s fit in Miami, his name hasn’t cooled down amongst other potential suitors. According to reports, several Western Conference teams are monitoring his status: the Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, and Houston Rockets.

Minnesota needs an offensive creator alongside the burdened Anthony Edwards, especially with the aging Mike Conley and young Rob Dillingham unable to shoulder the playmaking load. Sacramento continues to struggle with their veteran heavy roster, and need a replacement for Dennis Schroder, who has not started the season well, shooting just 45% from the field. Houston, though unlikely to trade for him, needs a regular point guard option to replace the injured Fred VanVleet.

The catch lies in Morant‘s trade value. Despite being a former All-Star, his injury history, expensive $126 million contract, and history of off-court controversies have quieted a lot of potential demand. Even teams intrigued by his elite athleticism and rim pressure know that the margin for error is very thin: they’re buying low, but their risk would be extremely high.

In a potential trade, the Grizzlies are likely to get a solid starter along with multiple future picks instead of another franchise player. Sacramento could theoretically offer Schroder along with any picks, but any deal Minnesota could offer would be limited in both talent and draft capital. For now, Memphis looks willing to wait on Morant to rebuilding his form and value before making any major decision.