Though the majority of blockbuster trade scenarios don’t come to pass, there are still some insane ones that are fun thought exercises. In this article, we will discuss a three-team deal that sends Ja Morant to the New Orleans Pelicans, Trae Young to the Memphis Grizzlies, and Zion Williamson to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Grizzlies may have had enough of Ja Morant’s off-court incidents, and they might want to rebuild and start over. The key here is getting a new franchise player who they can trust in the long term, not just on the basketball court, but in terms of off-court life and attitude. They want a player who can truly represent the city and the franchise, and their decision to trade Ja Morant wouldn’t be surprising, especially if they can get a superstar or superstar-adjacent player in return.
On Atlanta Hawks’ end, we saw a few reports throughout the season that indicated their players don’t like Trae Young. This might be a good moment to trade him for another young player that can be the franchise star. Trae Young once led the Hawks to Conference Finals, he could be a good player for the Grizzlies, and Memphis would be the right city for him to add more toughness and defense to his game.
Finally, the Pelicans and Zion Willamson seem like they are better off without one another. Zion Williamson has missed a lot of games during his tenure with the franchise, and his availability has clearly impacted the team’s ability to compete. With all three of these things in mind, we present to you our trade scenario that exchanges three young stars.
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Trae Young, No. 14 Pick (NOP)
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Zion Williamson, Dyson Daniels, 2024 First-Round Pick (NOP)
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Ja Morant
This deal could potentially have a good outcome for all three teams involved, and it is clear that each team would have their reasons to make the trade. Here is why this trade works for everyone.
Memphis Grizzlies Get An Elite Point Guard To Replace Ja Morant
There is no doubt that Ja Morant’s off-court actions, particularly his gun incidents, have clouded the public perception of the player. He has also been called out by teammate Steven Adams over his off-court habits already, and it is clear that the situation in Memphis is far from perfect. However, Ja Morant still has good enough trade value to get an elite player like Trae Young in a deal, and perhaps now is the time for the Grizzlies to move the point guard.
Trae Young would be a solid replacement for Ja Morant, and during the playoffs, the point guard averaged 29.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 10.2 APG for the Atlanta Hawks. He could be the perfect franchise player for the Memphis Grizzlies and would give them a great floor general who also fits their system. Trae Young’s playmaking ability is equal to Ja Morant’s even if he is a slightly worse player, and there’s no doubt that Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. would be able to play off Young in a similar fashion they do with Morant.
On top of adding Trae Young, the Memphis Grizzlies would also get a lottery pick from the New Orleans Pelicans to reflect the difference in ability between Young and Morant. The Pelicans would be giving the draft compensation in this deal, as Zion Williamson’s value is the lowest out of the three young stars. The 2023 NBA Draft is deep, and the Memphis Grizzlies are well-known for drafting impact players that can contribute immediately. Perhaps they can do the same here with pick No. 14.
This is a solid value trade for the Memphis Grizzlies, as they would be getting an elite point guard that has shown that he will perform in the playoffs, as well as a lottery pick. Though losing their current franchise player will definitely be tough, Trae Young is a player that can become the new face of the team.
Atlanta Hawks Take A Chance On A Generational Talent
The knock on Zion Williamson has always been his durability: there’s no question that when he plays games he is close to being an MVP-level player. This season, Zion Williamson averaged 26.0 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 4.6 APG for the New Orleans Pelicans over 29 games. If he can replicate that over the course of an entire season, then he is as good a franchise player as any superstar in the league.
Even if the locker room situation in Atlanta isn’t as bad as previous reports indicated, the team has very few draft picks that they can use to improve the roster overall. As of now, they are a lower-tier playoff team, and perhaps making a soft retool while acquiring assets for the future will be more conducive to the team building a championship-level roster down the line.
Aside from Zion Williamson, the Atlanta Hawks would get former No. 8 pick Dyson Daniels and an unprotected first-round pick from the Pelicans. Dyson Daniels has already shown flashes of good passing ability and elite defense, and perhaps he would get the developmental minutes on the Hawks that are needed for him to find success.
Of course, taking on Zion Williamson is a huge gamble, which would be the key hold-up for the Atlanta Hawks. However, his talent level is absolutely worth it, and at his apex, he is clearly a player that can be the No. 1 on a championship team.
New Orleans Pelicans Get A More Durable Franchise Player
The New Orleans Pelicans’ biggest issue over the last few seasons has been the lack of availability from Zion Williamson. It is almost impossible to build a contending team with your star averaging 30 games a season. Even though Ja Morant has had some injury issues of his own in the league, most would agree that he is more available than Zion Williamson.
Trading for Ja Morant would have multiple benefits beyond just him being more available than Zion Williamson. His addition would shift CJ McCollum to the SG position, which would lessen the playmaking load on him and make sure he is in the right conditions to find success on the team. Morant would also make life easier for Brandon Ingram offensively, getting the wing more open looks and forcing opposing teams to give him more one-on-one opportunities as well.
In the postseason, Ja Morant averaged 24.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 7.0 APG for the Memphis Grizzlies. He also shot 41.9% from the 3PT range in that time span, despite perimeter shooting notably being one of his bigger weaknesses. This is a player that can bring a team to the playoffs consistently as well, which is obviously key for the New Orleans Pelicans. They have made the playoffs only once in the last four years, and it makes sense for them to bring in a player that has a proven track record of making the playoffs.
The New Orleans Pelicans will also have a player that can immediately start at the PF position in the event of a Zion Williamson trade, which is forward Trey Murphy. He is an elite shooter that plays well-off stars and also provides some athleticism at that spot as well. In theory, he could have a career year playing off Ja Morant.
There is no doubt that the Pelicans hoping for Zion Williamson to stay healthy has not worked out for them the last few seasons. That is the primary reason that they would seek a trade, and getting Ja Morant would definitely allow them to be more competitive as a franchise.
This Is A Deal That Can Help All Three Teams Get Better Now Or Later
There is no doubt that this trade would ensure that the Memphis Grizzlies, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Atlanta Hawks all leave with one elite franchise player. Since those franchises all have reasons to move off their current franchise players, this 3-team deal works for all of them.
It will be interesting to see if a deal like this is ever seriously discussed. It is an absolutely wild blockbuster trade scenario, and those don’t always happen due to there being multiple parties in the deal, which heightens the chance of the deal being unable to be completed.
However, this seems like something that all three teams would consider. It is unlikely that it will ever happen, but there are definitely stranger things that have occurred in the league.
