Grizzlies-Kings mock trade floated

A Sports Illustrated mock trade on April 25 proposed the Sacramento Kings send Zach LaVine to the Memphis Grizzlies for Ja Morant. (si.com) The specific framework in the article was LaVine, second-year guard Devin Carter and second-round picks from Sacramento for Morant. Tyson Warren wrote that the idea would let the Kings “buy low” on Morant after a turbulent stretch in Memphis. (si.com) The same Sports Illustrated site framed Sacramento’s summer as unusually tight. Another April 26 column said the Kings “need a near-perfect offseason” after falling out of the playoff picture. (si.com 1) (si.com 2) Sacramento’s record gives that urgency a number: 22-60. Sports Illustrated’s Kings page lists the club fifth in the Pacific Division, and ESPN’s standings page shows Sacramento tied with Utah before losing the draft-lottery tiebreaker. (si.com) (espn.com) (nba.com) Memphis is coming off a 25-57 season, according to Sports Illustrated’s Grizzlies page. That same page has carried multiple April stories about Morant’s future, including one headline saying trade talks were beginning to build. (si.com) The mock matters because it connects two teams that both missed the postseason and both have unresolved backcourt questions. Sacramento has been publishing a string of offseason pieces about finding a long-term point guard, while Memphis coverage has centered on whether Morant still fits its timeline. (si.com 1) (si.com 2) There is no indication from either team that a deal is in place. The article is a proposal, not a report, and it arrives weeks before the May 10 draft lottery and nearly two months before the June 23 first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. (si.com) (nba.com) For now, the trade is a sketch of the choices in front of Sacramento and Memphis: gamble on a star reset, or use the summer to rebuild more slowly through picks and younger players. (si.com) (nba.com)