There are reasons to believe the Miami Heat need to take a swing at Ja Morant. The disgruntled Memphis Grizzlies star was recently suspended, sparking plenty of speculation on who might try to go out and make a deal to trade for Morant.
Miami, in large part due to its "Heat Culture," has been brought up as a popular landing destination for Morant. And given that the buying price for Morant might be low, this could be the perfect time for the Heat to strike.
And while Morant would launch the Heat into instant Eastern Conference contenders, there is a hidden floor that would loom that isn't the one most fans are thinking about.
Ja Morant presents wild possibilities in Miami
Erik Spoelstra has gone back to his small-ball tendancies over the last few games. The Heat are 3-1 since making the move, but there have been some juxtapositions from the pivot.
Specifically against the Clippers, Miami's opening and closing eight minutes were a mixed bag, but it was the eight-minute stretch out of halftime where the breakneck pace of the 2025-26 Heat caused real problems for LA and opened up an 11-point lead.
On paper, if Miami landed Morant, it would put Tyler Herro and Norman Powell on the court with him, along with Bam Adebayo. From there, it would be up to Spoelstra on who the fifth man would be, but no matter who he inserted, it would still leave the Heat with a smaller lineup.
With Morant, Herro, and Powell, the Heat would have three high-end scorers who should play well off each other with Morant as the primary ball handler. And in theory, this would be a trio that could cause massive damage during the regular season and set the Heat up as a top-four seed in the East.
The concern and potential floor for Miami, and one that doesn't have a known answer until we see it for real, is what happens when playoff contact is allowed? Would a small-ball roster hold up once teams have greater freedom to slow down opponents?
If Morant is available for the right price, then go get him. Given the current state of the Heat, there probably won't be a better window to land a missing piece star without mortgaging the future.
Just know that even without the off-court issues, there is a floor he would present, and Miami wouldn't want to start planning the championship parade just yet.