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"There's a lot. It's called baggage" - Austin Rivers sounds the alarm on Ja Morant trade
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- "There's a lot. It's called baggage" - Austin Rivers sounds the alarm on Ja Morant trade
With the NBA trade deadline only a few weeks away, the rumor mill has been buzzing with potential trades and player movement, from superstars like Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo to role players such as De'Andre Hunter and Jonathan Kuminga .
However, one player who is clearly on the trading block is Ja Morant , whom the Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly shopping ahead of the trade deadline. Although the former All-NBA Team member hasn't been at his best over the last three seasons and has been plagued by controversies and injury, he remains an elite athlete who can turn a franchise around, provided he gets himself right.
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According to former NBA guard and current analyst Austin Rivers , this is the caveat with Morant: despite his immense talent and potential, he needs to be in an ideal situation to truly flourish.
A tricky trade to make
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green recently proclaimed that, despite the issues Morant has faced in the past, nobody can say his best days are behind him. Only 26 years of age, the high-flying guard can still impact the game and elevate a franchise to the next level.
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Rivers, though, asserted that Morant just can't move to any team, as he's not a plug-and-play type of player like Jrue Holiday and Alex Caruso — guys who can help a team in numerous ways, even without having the ball in their hands.
"Jrue Holiday can come off the bench. Jrue Holiday could play the one, the two, the three, the four, the five. He can play whatever you want him to play. He's like Caruso. You just put him out there, right?" Rivers said on the "Off Guard" podcast. "These guys have adaptive roles, zero ego and are pretty much another coach in the locker room. Teams love these guys."
To be clear, Rivers said he's not claiming that Morant isn't well-liked around the league. However, it's unlikely he will be happy or satisfied playing on a squad that will have him come off the bench or be just a role player.​
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"Ja ain't going to no team and coming off the bench and being okay with coming off the bench. Ja's not okay with not having his ball in his hands," the retired guard asserted. "He has to have the ball in his hands. Otherwise, he can't be Ja. He's not a sharp shooter. So he has to have the ball in his hands. All of these little dots, again, make it more complicated to move him."
Teams must think twice about trading for Ja
Morant is in the midst of a down year, averaging only 19.0 points on 40.1 percent shooting. While that may be concerning, it's not as pressing as the baggage that he brings with him.
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A brash superstar who's not afraid to taunt opponents or even get in the face of his coach, acquiring a player of his talent also means dealing with his shenanigans.
"A lesson in this Ja thing is no matter how up you are, there's a certain humility a star has to always remember and hold. And I'm not saying Ja moves around without humility," Rivers explained. "But there was a time period there where it's the mistakes on his social media and the stuff in the game, and then he had a problem with the coach, then the coach got fired, and obviously his pops does his stuff on the sidelines. There's a lot. It's called baggage."
Another thing that teams are wary of is Morant's skill set. Yes, he's a captivating athlete who can jump outside of the gym and rock every rim. He's an elite playmaker who uses his gravity to find open teammates. Yet at the same time, Ja is a subpar defender and shooter. This means that teams who are already struggling with shooting the ball can't afford to add another non-shooter to their roster​
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"It's a very tricky spot with him because he's intriguing because of his talent. But then you think, okay, well, he's not a shooter. So it seems like the Bucks, who's desperate to make a trade that doesn't make a lot of sense," Austin stated, referring to the team his father, Doc, coaches.
"I love Ja and Giannis on one end. It's like I'm just taking all these dunks and excitement. And on the other end, I'm like, man, they don't have a lot of shooting," he continued. "So it would just be Ja and Giannis out there. Two great players, but they're non-shooting players. So teams would just pack the paint and beat them with threes. You know what I mean?"
The question on a lot of basketball fans' minds right now is, where will Morant end up? With the trade deadline looming, the answer will come soon enough.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
