The Sacramento Kings are reportedly no longer in pursuit of Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant, per Mike Scotto of Hoops Hype.
At one point last season, the Kings were looking to acquire Morant for the right price. The team was reluctant to relinquish draft capital for the two-time All-Star and are projected to select a point guard with the No. 7 overall pick in the NBA Draft Tuesday.
The franchise’s decision to draft a point guard likely ends their pursuit of Morant.
Morant is coming off a season where he averaged 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 8.1 assists while shooting 41% from the field and 23.5% from three. While the Grizzlies star remains a high-level point guard, his injury history and off the court issues have hindered his chances of reaching new heights.
Morant appeared in only 20 games last season as he dealt with myriad injuries throughout the campaign, included an elbow injury, calf soreness and ankle issues. During the 2024-25 campaign, he played in 50 games and only nine games the season prior due to a 25-game suspension to open the year as well as a season-ending shoulder injury.
The Kings have parted ways with several talented point guards, most recently D’Aaron Fox. Sacramento traded the All-Star guard to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-time trade in February 2025.
With the Spurs, Fox reached the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, the Kings haven’t reached the postseason since the 2023 season.
Before trading Fox, Sacramento parted ways with Tyrese Haliburton in February 2022. Hailburton also reached the NBA Finals with the Indiana Pacers during the 2024-25 campaign.
Evidently, the Kings have had talented point guards on their roster in recent years, but ultimately chose to let them go. Now, it appears Sacramento hopes to strike gold in the draft to find their next floor general.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
