The Portland Trail Blazers should stay far away from Ja Morant this trade season. While they still need to find a co-star to pair with Deni Avdija after his All-Star ascension, Morant is not the answer. Whether it's his off-court issues, unreliable floor spacing, or injury concerns, the Blazers would be better off letting another team take on all that risk.
That said, Portland should hope someone else trades for Morant by the Feb. 5 deadline, as his teammate, Jaren Jackson Jr., could then be the next domino to fall.
Yahoo Sports' Kelly Iko recently reported that executives around the league believe the Grizzlies are more likely to part ways with Jackson if and when they decide to trade Morant, as that would signal they are set on rebuilding around their young core.
"Given the level of production Memphis has seen from the likes of Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells, and Cam Spencer, the organization desires a pivot to youth, sources say. In speaking with rival executives, there's a growing thought that Jackson — while a stark contrast to Morant and despite Memphis' insistence on him being a key part of its future — could be the next domino to fall at some point, assuming a Morant trade is realized."
Blazers hoping for Ja Morant trade as Jaren Jackson Jr. could be the next domino to fall
Overall, Memphis has not met expectations this season, trailing the Blazers in the Western Conference standings. The silver lining of their underwhelming season is that their youth has been better than expected, as a legitimate, underrated young core is beginning to form from their recent draft picks. That could influence how they navigate the deadline, potentially making them more inclined to part ways with Morant and/or Jackson and start fresh.
The Grizzlies have quietly been in purgatory the past few seasons, and to an extent, they have already hit the reset button with the haul they got in exchange for sending Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic. Hopefully, for Portland's sake, they continue to tear down their roster, as Jackson would be a dream trade target.
He's everything Portland should be looking for in terms of a co-star for Avdija. With Portland's future All-Star emerging as a legitimate point forward, the ideal complementary piece will be someone who can impact winning without requiring the ball.
Finding a star player capable of that is rare in itself, but finding one that teams are potentially willing to part ways with is nearly impossible. Another two-way player who fit the bill for Portland at the deadline was Trey Murphy III. But with New Orleans now signaling to teams that their young core (outside of Yves Missi and Jordan Hawkins) is off-limits, Jackson should now be considered the Blazers' clear-cut top trade target.
Let's hope a Morant trade materializes in the coming weeks, so that the Blazers have a more realistic chance of making that a reality.