SACRAMENTO, May 12, 2026, 12:04 PDT
- Sacramento’s got the No. 7 pick, but the lead guard spot is still up in the air.
- Memphis holds the No. 3 pick, an option on the table should the team decide to push further into a reset.
- Morant’s contract, coupled with his elbow injury and recent shooting slump, complicate any potential Kings pursuit.
The Ja Morant rumor mill is heating up again in Sacramento. According to Kings beat writer James Ham, talk about a possible move for the Memphis Grizzlies star is “more than Twitter talk” and described as “solid.” Ham stopped short of predicting whether a deal gets done. The Kings, he said, could circle back to Morant this offseason. SI
That’s a shift with Memphis sliding into the No. 3 spot and Sacramento picking seventh in NBA.com’s current draft board. Both franchises have a shot to juggle rookie options, salary dumps, or a move for veterans ahead of the June 23 first round.
Sacramento’s roster is thin at key spots. Kings GM Scott Perry spelled it out just last month: “point guard is a position of need.” Even so, he insisted the rebuild stays aimed at “high-end talent.” NBC Sports Bay Area
Deadline negotiations got messy. According to Hoops Rumors, Memphis floated Ja Morant in conversations with multiple clubs as February’s cutoff approached. Sacramento, for one, pressed the Grizzlies to throw in a first-rounder, which shut down that discussion.
That’s a hefty sum. Spotrac pegs Morant’s pay at $42.2 million for 2026-27, jumping to $44.9 million in 2027-28. Zach LaVine, on his end, holds a $49.0 million player option for 2026-27—he’ll decide if he wants in for that season.
Morant’s health remains a question mark. Back in March, Reuters said the two-time All-Star would miss the rest of the season with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament—called the UCL—in his elbow. He’d played 20 games and put up 19.5 points and 8.1 assists per game before the injury.
Morant’s style on the court hasn’t escaped criticism. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, speaking on the “Out the Mud” podcast, pointed out that the guard needs to work on his mid-range and three-point shots. “Everything ain’t about dunking,” Smith said. HEAVY
Sacramento stands out from the crowd of rumored teams. While Milwaukee, Miami, and Brooklyn have come up in the chatter, it’s the Kings who remain most closely associated with the earlier draft pick compensation dispute.
The risk for Sacramento jumps out: they’d be absorbing a pricey guard with a lengthy injury history. Memphis, on its end, faces the question of just how much it’s ready to give up to move that contract. Deals that balance out on paper often trip over a single draft pick.
The No. 3 pick hands the Grizzlies leverage they lacked at midseason. They could grab a young cornerstone, test the waters on Morant trades again, or simply hold off until teams wrap up the playoffs and adjust their rosters.
The Kings have a clearer fork in the road. They could grab a guard with the No. 7 pick and leave themselves room to maneuver, giving the rebuild more time. Or they could roll the dice on Morant, betting that a new environment revives a player who not long ago ranked among the league’s most explosive downhill threats.
There’s no agreement yet. The real question now: Does Sacramento still view Morant as a distressed asset they want to take a shot at, or will Memphis decide the draft offers an easier path forward?
