How Memphis Can Still Launch a Post-JA ERA (HOU/LAL)

[eitanr]

After several years of contending around Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies have hit reset — not by bottoming out, but by quietly pulling off two franchise-altering trades that remake their identity and replenish their asset base.

Trade 1: Memphis → Houston
Grizzlies receive:

Alperen Şengün

Reed Sheppard

2026 and 2027 Phoenix Suns first-round picks (via Houston)

Rockets receive:

Ja Morant

Why Houston does it:
This is a full send. After acquiring Kevin Durant from Phoenix (in a deal that sent Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and picks out), Houston is clearly in win-now mode. Adding Ja Morant gives them an explosive rim attacker and secondary playmaker who pairs well with KD’s perimeter gravity. With Amen Thompson emerging as a versatile guard and Jabari Smith Jr. and Steven Adams anchoring the frontcourt, the Rockets roll out a starting five of:

Morant / Thompson / Durant / Smith Jr. / Adams, with Fred VanVleet and Clint Capela coming off the bench.

Giving up Şengün and Sheppard — both promising young players — isn’t easy. But for a team that just traded for Durant and is hunting the 2026 Finals, it’s a swing worth taking.

Why Memphis does it:
The Grizzlies are effectively moving off Morant before his max contract fully escalates and before more off-court risk compounds his value. In return, they get:

Şengün, a 22-year-old big with elite vision and touch, capable of anchoring a modern halfcourt offense

Sheppard, a top-3 pick and one of the most polished guard prospects in years

Two Phoenix picks (2026, 2027) that could become major assets as Durant ages and their future remains unclear

It’s a reset, not a teardown — Memphis gets younger, more stable, and regains flexibility.

Trade 2: Memphis → Lakers
Grizzlies receive:

Dalton Knecht

2031 Lakers 1st-round pick (top-10 protected; unprotected in 2032)

Lakers receive:

Zach Edey

Why the Lakers do it:
With Luka Dončić now in L.A. and Anthony Davis traded to Dallas, the Lakers are building a new core around Luka and younger complementary pieces. Edey gives them a massive interior presence who can function as a drop-coverage anchor and offensive rebounder while Luka and Ayton handle creation duties. Knecht was blocked by a crowded wing rotation and the Lakers don’t want to wait on the 2031 pick. This is a Luka-centric win-now move.

Why Memphis does it:
Edey, while productive, became expendable the second Memphis acquired Şengün. Knecht adds instant shooting off the bench and helps fill the Desmond Bane-sized hole on the perimeter. The 2031 Lakers pick could be a massive upside play — Luka will be 32, and the Lakers have a long history of volatility once star eras end. A 2031 unprotected Lakers pick might be a lottery ticket.

Post-Trade Memphis Depth Chart (2025–26)


C Senguin/Clarke/Londale
PF JJJ/Adlami/GG Jackson
SF Wells/ Coward
SG KCP/ Knecht. V. Williams
PG Sheppard/ Jerome/ Pippen

The Big Picture: Why This Works for Memphis Long-Term
This isn’t a teardown — it’s a calculated pivot. Memphis offloads a franchise player whose future with the team had become complicated and in return:

Replaces him with a top-3 rookie (Sheppard), a 22-year-old All-Star caliber big (Şengün), and 3 high-upside picks

Adds Dalton Knecht to keep their shooting depth alive

Turns Zach Edey, a non-ideal fit with Şengün, into a longer-term asset and bench scorer

Even better: Memphis already owned three Orlando 1st-round picks from the Desmond Bane trade. Combined with the new draft capital, they now control:

7 Future First-Round Picks:

2027 PHX (via Houston)

2029 PHX (via Houston)

2031 LAL (top-10 protected)

Four Orlando picks

Their own picks still intact

This is now one of the most asset-rich teams in the league — without being bad.

They’ve kept JJJ, Aldama, and a mix of steady vets (KCP, Jerome), while bringing in new core talent. The floor is stable, the ceiling is high, and they’re positioned to draft or trade into another star when the time is right.

Verdict:
Memphis quietly pulled off two of the smartest trades of the offseason — repositioning themselves for sustainable success while remaining competitive. They now resemble OKC in asset depth, with better current pieces. This is how you rebuild without bottoming out.

[zimpy27]

Actually a decent idea. This would make Rockets favourites.

Though I don't think Rockets need to give up the FRPs.

[ReggiesKnicks]

I wouldn't trade Sengun for Ja if I were Houston.

The only players I would trade Sengun for are clear upgrades in terms of total/cumulative impact for the next 2-3 years, and there isnt enough from Ja to consider the swap.

[MoreyWins]

Yeah, no. That's way overvaluing a player incapable of staying on the court. That's the last direction Houston needs to go with. That is in fact not a swing worth taking.

[LarsV8]

Does a Sengun for Ja swap even make the Rockets better?

I have them as similar impact players, and Sengun is younger, healthier and doesn't have baggage.

I think you are overvaluing Ja quite a bit.

[HornetJail]

even despite the down year, I have Ja multiple tiers above Sengun as a player, and even I wouldn't tack on both of those picks to make this happen

[esvl]

No interest from Memphis. Bunch of no-names for the King Ja, are you kidding?

And certainly we don’t make any trades with the freaking Lakers.

[ReggiesKnicks]

even despite the down year, I have Ja multiple tiers above Sengun as a player, and even I wouldn't tack on both of those picks to make this happen

Can you explain the difference in tiers?

[Godaddycurse]

Houston dont own 2026 phx first. They own 27 and 29

[HornetJail]

even despite the down year, I have Ja multiple tiers above Sengun as a player, and even I wouldn't tack on both of those picks to make this happen

Can you explain the difference in tiers?

in short, one of them was a proven offensive engine with unreal tools that led Memphis to multiple 50-win seasons, before injuries and suspension. His value takes a significant dip based on those, from where it was the last couple of seasons

the other is just Sabonis that is worse at basically everything currently, and might have some room to improve. yet if I proposed a Ja/Sabonis swap, it would be a resounding no from basically everyone. But he's on a good team therefore he is magically better.

[eitanr]

Morant still carries tremendous cache. If Memphis finds its way into that likely no man land between 6-10 seed and Houston needs that boost around the deadline, this is maybe more plausible.

I don’t see Durant fitting well with Senguin. They may also want to run more small ball with Smith Jr at the 5 next to Durant. An up tempo, jolt starter like Ja would be a reasonable target.

For Memphis, this is a clever way to basically change their framework to be more socialistic with their offense while stock piling some mighty quality picks.


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[Kiss of Death]

Makes no sense for the Rockets.

[MoreyWins]

even despite the down year, I have Ja multiple tiers above Sengun as a player, and even I wouldn't tack on both of those picks to make this happen

Can you explain the difference in tiers?

in short, one of them was a proven offensive engine with unreal tools that led Memphis to multiple 50-win seasons, before injuries and suspension. His value takes a significant dip based on those, from where it was the last couple of seasons

the other is just Sabonis that is worse at basically everything currently, and might have some room to improve. yet if I proposed a Ja/Sabonis swap, it would be a resounding no from basically everyone. But he's on a good team therefore he is magically better.

Sengun is not Sabonis. They play two entirely different games on both ends of the court, both have entirely different roles on their team. That's a lazy comparison that should have been deaded already.

[ReggiesKnicks]

even despite the down year, I have Ja multiple tiers above Sengun as a player, and even I wouldn't tack on both of those picks to make this happen

Can you explain the difference in tiers?

in short, one of them was a proven offensive engine with unreal tools that led Memphis to multiple 50-win seasons, before injuries and suspension. His value takes a significant dip based on those, from where it was the last couple of seasons

Ja Morant led Memphis, yet the team won 56 games in 2022 despite Ja only playing in 57 games. Ja finished 7th on the team in total +/- and 8th in rate +/- (Meaning +/- per a time period).

Ja was definitely the most electric player on the roster, but to say a player who played 57 games "led" their team to 56 wins can't really be accurate, can it?

In 2023, the Memphis Grizzles won 51 games, with Ja playing just 61 games. Again, similar pattern in +/-. Ja finished 3rd in total +/- and 4th in rate +/- for the 51-win squad.

Do you consider missing 25 and 21 games in back-to-back seasons not injury prone? You said before the injuries kicked in, but by all accounts Ja was injured during these two seasons.

the other is just Sabonis that is worse at basically everything currently, and might have some room to improve. yet if I proposed a Ja/Sabonis swap, it would be a resounding no from basically everyone. But he's on a good team therefore he is magically better.

I don't view Sabonis and Sengun similar at all, other than big, white men with European names. Have you watched them play?

Sabonis runs a ton of DHO and uses force around the rim. Sengun uses a combination of technical skill and size to dominate his opponents. Not very similar. Sengun is also a clear positive defender, Sabonis not-so-much.

[HornetJail]

relax yall, I was speaking more about production than play styles, fully aware they are not the same player.

[ReggiesKnicks]

relax yall, I was speaking more about production than play styles, fully aware they are not the same player.

Sengun just led the Rockets to 52-wins, actually played far more games than Ja did in either 2022 or 2023, and had better impact metrics.

Can you explain the reasoning behind Ja being more valuable to Memphis and more important in 2022 and 2023 compared to Sengun? The numbers don't back it up. I bet the jersey sales support Ja in this situation, though.

[HornetJail]

relax yall, I was speaking more about production than play styles, fully aware they are not the same player.

Sengun just led the Rockets to 52-wins, actually played far more games than Ja did in either 2022 or 2023, and had better impact metrics.

Can you explain the reasoning behind Ja being more valuable to Memphis and more important in 2022 and 2023 compared to Sengun? The numbers don't back it up. I bet the jersey sales support Ja in this situation, though.

the 2022-23 Grizzlies winning those games without him was kind of inexplicable and I don't really have an answer for it, but his on-off numbers were still fantastic, despite that.

Regardless of how you feel, I'm taking the dual threat scoring/playmaking PG with supernatural athleticism over a rather defensively exploitable big man who doesn't even approach league average shooting efficiency for a big man when building a team, and I'll gamble on Ja's health/off court issues for it any day of the week. Just much easier to build around.

Ideally though, neither of them is your team's best player if you're trying to win anything, and thankfully for Houston, they just traded scraps for a better player. Hope it all works out for them.

[ReggiesKnicks]

the 2022-23 Grizzlies winning those games without him was kind of inexplicable and I don't really have an answer for it, but his on-off numbers were still fantastic, despite that.

I am glad you are just side-stepping this because the truth lies in the numbers.

Regardless of how you feel, I'm taking the dual threat scoring/playmaking PG with supernatural athleticism over a rather defensively exploitable big man who doesn't even approach league average shooting efficiency for a big man when building a team, and I'll gamble on Ja's health/off court issues for it any day of the week. Just much easier to build around.

Understandable, though Ja is also inefficient. Negative TS+ in all but one season (2022). His body hasn't shown it can withstand a full NBA season, and he is entering his 7th season in the NBA.

You are banking on a lot to change for Ja. I am banking on Sengun just staying course. Seems like an obvious answer to me on who anyone would prefer, but I also prefer winning over jersey sales.

[esvl]

relax yall, I was speaking more about production than play styles, fully aware they are not the same player.

Sengun just led the Rockets to 52-wins, actually played far more games than Ja did in either 2022 or 2023, and had better impact metrics.

Can you explain the reasoning behind Ja being more valuable to Memphis and more important in 2022 and 2023 compared to Sengun? The numbers don't back it up. I bet the jersey sales support Ja in this situation, though.

the 2022-23 Grizzlies winning those games without him was kind of inexplicable and I don't really have an answer for it, but his on-off numbers were still fantastic, despite that.

Regardless of how you feel, I'm taking the dual threat scoring/playmaking PG with supernatural athleticism over a rather defensively exploitable big man who doesn't even approach league average shooting efficiency for a big man when building a team, and I'll gamble on Ja's health/off court issues for it any day of the week. Just much easier to build around.

Ideally though, neither of them is your team's best player if you're trying to win anything, and thankfully for Houston, they just traded scraps for a better player. Hope it all works out for them.

Don’t waste your time. Ja haters will hate anyway.

[ReggiesKnicks]

Sengun just led the Rockets to 52-wins, actually played far more games than Ja did in either 2022 or 2023, and had better impact metrics.

Can you explain the reasoning behind Ja being more valuable to Memphis and more important in 2022 and 2023 compared to Sengun? The numbers don't back it up. I bet the jersey sales support Ja in this situation, though.

the 2022-23 Grizzlies winning those games without him was kind of inexplicable and I don't really have an answer for it, but his on-off numbers were still fantastic, despite that.

Regardless of how you feel, I'm taking the dual threat scoring/playmaking PG with supernatural athleticism over a rather defensively exploitable big man who doesn't even approach league average shooting efficiency for a big man when building a team, and I'll gamble on Ja's health/off court issues for it any day of the week. Just much easier to build around.

Ideally though, neither of them is your team's best player if you're trying to win anything, and thankfully for Houston, they just traded scraps for a better player. Hope it all works out for them.

Don’t waste your time. Ja haters will hate anyway.

Different Opinion =/= Hating