NBA Trade Rumors: Blockbuster deal swapping Ja Morant for reigning assists leader explained

The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and the Ja Morant-led Grizzlies have already suffered two losses in their first-round series. The top-seeded Thunder has a commanding 2-0 lead and looks primed to sweep the rest of the series.

With an early exit looming over the Grizzlies' heads, rumors about a potential Ja Morant trade have started to surface. In February, the Dallas Mavericks proved that no one is safe in this league when they traded their superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers.

On Tuesday, the Zodiac GM, an X user who analyzes teams and athlete synergies through zodiacs, reshared an old post of his, suggesting a trade between the Grizzlies and the Hawks, swapping their superstars, Ja Morant and Trae Young. In his quote tweet's caption, he revealed that the teams were at a crossroads.

Earlier this month, Sam Amick from The Athletic also expressed his views on a similar subject. He revealed that Ja Morant was quite close with the Grizzlies' former coach, Taylor Jenkins, whom the franchise fired in late March.

"He was on team Taylor, if you will, until the very end and all the way until the end," Amick said on FanDuel's Run It Back. "I don't know to what degree, you know, he complained when the move happened."

Jenkins had coached Morant from his rookie season and molded him into a two-time All-Star. Later, Amick revealed that the Grizzlies' superstar was not happy with the current offensive tactics of his team.

"He didn't like the offense. That is something that we can kind of definitely say. And I'm talking about the new one, the non-Taylor Jenkins offense. That he was not enjoying the evolution of his role. And now, for them to learn even farther into it seemingly, seems a little precarious."

The Grizzlies have said that Jenkins' dismissal won't affect Morant's standing with the team, and he will stay with them. However, with a bad start to their first playoff series, his future at the franchise becomes more uncertain.

On the other hand, the Atlanta Hawks did not make the playoffs this season after losing to the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament. It is still very early to speculate on a blockbuster move that would bring Trae Young to the Grizzlies and Ja Morant to the Hawks. However, if that move materialises in the coming offseason, it would serve as a new start for both superstars.

"I see a better player": Colin Cowherd makes a brutal comparison between Ja Morant and Timberwolves star

On the Tuesday episode of "The Colin Cowherd Podcast," the show's host made a brutal comparison between Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards and Ja Morant. The sports anchor announced Edwards as a better player than the Grizzlies' star.

"Every time I watch Ant, every year, I see a better player, and I don't with Ja Morant," Cowherd said.

The media personality said that he saw Edwards put in more work in his craft compared to Morant, which made him a better player over the years. While the Grizzlies are down two games in their first-round matchup, the Timberwolves are tied at 1-1 with the LA Lakers and will play their third game on Friday.