Memphis Trade Drama: Ja Morant or Jaren Jackson Jr?

Merlin sees the Grizzlies at a crossroads. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reports that Jaren Jackson Jr. "just wants to understand what the plan is," and he may not be asking to leave even as trade chatter swirls around Ja Morant. Memphis is 18-23 and sitting in the 10 seed, and the front office could opt for a step-by-step teardown to turn contracts into young assets and picks. Morant insists his loyalty with "a logo on my back," but durability and limited playoff success cloud the picture. Merlin senses a quiet reckoning. With both stars under team control, Memphis can wait or accelerate a rebuild, and the decision could ignore player preference. If leadership chooses future pieces over present flashes, Jackson is likeliest to move first.