The Miami Heat's path to trading Ja Morant just got unexpectedly harder. According to Jake Fischer, the market for Morant is expected to be more vast than it was at this past year's NBA Trade Deadline.
Morant isn't expected to be one of the top trade targets for the Heat this offseason, but could emerge as more of an option if the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and/or Kawhi Leonard aren't available. Because of their reported past interest, it wouldn't be surprising if the Heat circled back to inquire about Morant.
However, if they do, that is going to be met with much more resistance than it appeared it would have had they made the move for the All-Star guard at the deadline.
I am starting to hear predictive murmurs that the Grizzlies will find a wider trade market for Morant than they did in February when external interest was extremely minimal.
Ja Morant could be a strong plan B for the Heat
Again, if the Heat misses out on some of their preferred trade targets this summer, Morant could appear as a much more viable option. Especially if the front office doesn't want to exit the offseason empty-handed. But, assuming Morant's trade market does get an unexpected boost, that's certainly going to be a lot more complicated for the Heat.
Looking back, there wasn't much, if any interest, in Morant at the trade deadline. Had the Heat been willing to take the gamble a few months ago, it's safe to say that it would've cost less than what it will likely cost to land Morant this summer.
But, understandably, the Heat weren't in a position to make such a move. Because the Giannis situation hadn't been settled, that wasn't all that surprising.
The Heat can't exit the offseason without anything to show for it
Whether it's Giannis, Kawhi, Morant, or another star not yet mentioned as a possible Heat target this summer, they can't exit without anything to show for it.
With a golden opportunity to significantly upgrade their roster, the Heat can't afford to whiff again this summer. Even if the Heat aren't able to pry Giannis out of Milwaukee or if they get beat out in a bidding war by another team, Miami can't just run it back next season.
Even if the Heat needs to take an even bigger step back, there's no way they can sell the fan base on this roster not undergoing significant changes. Whether it's improvement with a star acquisition or resetting the table a bit by trading some of their veterans, change is desired in Miami.
The hope is that they can land a star. However, as this recent report points out, that's going to be a lot easier said than done.
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