Rockets are avoiding a Ja Morant catastrophe if latest rumors prove true

The Houston Rockets could be in the market for a star point guard, but they ought to pass on Ja Morant if he's available. Luckily, the latest rumors indicate that they feel the same way.

Some fans will be disappointed. Understandable. At his best, Morant is a wildly excited player. He's a one-man offense, and a walking highlight reel:

At his best.

Unfortunately, he hasn't been at his best in some time.

Rockets best to avoid damaged goods

Let's talk about who Morant is at his best.

In 2022-23, he averaged 26.2 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game with a 5.7 Box Plus/Minus (BPM). Morant looked the part of a franchise superstar.

Sadly, it's been all downhill from there.

In 2025-26, Morant is averaging 17.9 points and 7.6 assists per game. Those are solid numbers in a vacuum, but his -4.5 BPM tells a different story. That's a dreadful number. Morant's 47.7 True Shooting % (TS%) is reflective of one of the least efficient high-volume scorers in the NBA.

There's also the matter of his durability. Remember that superstar 2022-23 season? Morant was limited to just 9 games the next year. He's never looked the same since, and it's hard not to wonder if there's a correlation there.

Finally, Morant has been no stranger to off-court controversies. Without knowing him personally, it can be said that his behavior has been concerning. The Rockets are building a culture, and they don't need Morant to disrupt it. There's every reason to avoid him:

Is there any reason to entertain acquiring him?

Rockets must avoid Morant at all costs

Frankly, no.

Firstly, Morant earns roughly $39.4 million per season. The Rockets would not be able to acquire him without giving up a key player.

In an absolute best case scenario, the Grizzlies would accept a deal built around Fred VanVleet, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jae'Sean Tate and as little draft capital as possible. The Rockets would need VanVleet to waive his implied no-trade clause. Even then, disrupting their locker room chemistry by moving a leader in VanVleet to bring in Morant wouldn't be worth the cost.

Frankly, they shouldn't trade for Morant if Memphis is willing to give him away. At this juncture, he looks like he's more trouble than he's worth. Perhaps Morant will turn his career around, but the Rockets shouldn't be the team to find out whether that's possible:

Let someone else deal with him.