Yes, Ja Morant comes with baggage. Lots of it. No, he's not producing in the way he once was, and it's starting to look like this might be his new normal, instead of a slight roadblock as he plays his way back to health. Yes, the Bucks would probably have to part with some potentially important future first-round picks. No, Morant has never played over 70 games per year.
The Bucks should probably trade for him.
What do you mean, you're not convinced?
Alright, I get it. Morant is a risky proposition and he's done nothing in the past two-plus years to prove that he can win at a high level — or even stay on the court enough to attempt to win. And yet...The Bucks are desperate to make a win-now move (despite Giannis' recent declaration that he wants to stay in Milwaukee and won't request a trade) and Morant is the most glaring win-now move available.
Plus, the Bucks don't have time to wait around for the next sure-thing star to become available. Sure, getting Darius Garland would be awesome, but I don't think the Cavs actually want to deal him. And none other players who feel like realistic targets for the Bucks — Jerami Grant, Jonathan Kuminga, etc. — have the game-changing ability that Morant does. That ability has been M.I.A for a while, but hoping Morant gets back to his old form is still a better bet then getting a guy who will be fine at best.
Trae Young could have been that splashy win-now move, but the Wizards struck first and acquired him earlier this week. Now, Morant is the next star on the block, and Jon Horst should at least pick up the phone and see what the asking price is for the 26 year-old guard. A splash still has to be made.
Giannis and Ja Morant would be an electrifying duo
There is no other (currently available) star who would give the Bucks as high a ceiling as Ja Morant. Granted, a lot has to go right for that ceiling to be reached. Morant has to stay on the court, stop doing the things that got him suspended multiple times, and start playing like the Ja Morant who was an All-NBA talent not too long ago.
Two years from now, we may look back and say Wow, remember when Ja Morant was an elite point guard? With how things are trending, that doesn't seem so crazy.
But two years from now, Ja and Giannis may look like the guard-big combo the Bucks have been searching for, and we'll look back and say Wow, why on Earth did the Grizzlies trade Ja Morant in 2026? You don't have to stretch your brain for that to feel realistic.
That's why, even with everything that could go wrong, the Bucks should still pursue Ja Morant. Until a better option pops up, he's likely the only target with the requisite talent to appease Giannis. And that's all that matters right now.