Trading season is finally upon us, Utah Jazz fans! Following the Trae Young trade, expect more dominoes to fall over the next four weeks. The next domino to fall might be a player who is under a similar umbrella as Young: Ja Morant. No, Utah should not even kid itself about acquiring him, but a recent trade idea featuring Morant also features the Jazz reuniting with a familiar face: Mike Conley.
Shortly after the Washington Wizards acquired Young, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Memphis Grizzlies are exploring Morant trades (Off-topic: this doesn't feel like a coincidence).
Just in: For the first time, the Memphis Grizzlies are entertaining offers to potentially move two-time All-Star Ja Morant ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/SD0RT9Jhuj
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 9, 2026
Morant and the Grizzlies may be on the outs, and it's fair to speculate that the Grizzlies may have the same mindset the Hawks did when they traded Young: to simply get rid of him instead of trying to capitalize on his trade value.
Technically speaking, exploring Morant trades isn't the same thing as the Hawks and Young working on a trade, as was reported before the latter pulled the trigger. Even so, ESPN's Kevin Pelton proposed a blockbuster trade between the Jazz, Wizards, Grizzlies, and Minnesota Timberwolves in which the following would happen:
Timberwolves get: Morant
Jazz get: Conley, cash considerations
Wizards get: Terrance Shannon Jr.
Grizzlies get: Naz Reid, Rob Dillingham, Bulls 2027 second-round pick
Now, of course, the Jazz's involvement would be pretty minimal, but Marks mentioned their participation in the deal, mentioning that because the Grizzlies don't have enough roster spots, they would have to "reroute Conley back to the Jazz as a veteran leader."
Besides that, not much else, but Conley is a beloved ex-Jazzman who left his mark on the franchise, as they helped him make his only All-Star team. At 38 years old, he doesn't have much to offer, but Utah is at a place right now where a, it's cool to have a veteran leader, and b, Utah can afford to be sentimental since the plan is still seemingly to tank.
They also have the John Collins trade exception to absorb Conley straight up, and since his contract expires after the season, they won't have to worry about him getting in the way of their cap space plans this coming summer.
Would the Jazz help the Timberwolves again?
Minnesota has Utah to thank for helping them reach heights they have never seen as a franchise because of both the Rudy Gobert and Conley trades. So it would be kind of odd for the Jazz to help them yet again, and more than that, potentially put them as the favorites by agreeing to a deal that would send them Morant.
The Timberwolves still owe the Jazz a few assets from the Gobert deal. Although thanks to that Suns trade, Utah helping Minnesota improve even more would guarantee the Suns would get the Timberwolves' draft assets, as they are owed the worst draft asset between them, the Jazz, and the Cleveland Cavaliers for multiple years. A Morant trade would increase the Jazz's chances of scoring big from that deal.
Plus, the Jazz have already scored big time from the Gobert deal. Walker Kessler, Keyonte George, and Walter Clayton Jr. are a pretty awesome return, even if they get nothing else from it. Honestly, there isn't much downside to reuniting with Conley. Jazz fans love him, and he wouldn't get in the way of their plans.
It would solidify the Timberwolves place in the West, but that wouldn't be the Jazz's problem for some time!