Fantasy Basketball Trade Thoughts | How to Approach Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart and Other Grizzlies after Ja Morant Injury

The Memphis Grizzlies have had a rough go of things this season, and things got worse this week when it was revealed that Ja Morant would be sidelined for the remainder of the season with a torn labrum.

That got me thinking about the fantasy basketball outlooks for the Grizzlies left on the roster. Let’s try to determine how to approach several players.

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Ja Morant Injury

Of course, Morant was suspended for the first 25 games of the season. He got to play in just nine games before suffering the injury. Morant didn’t miss a beat when he got back on the court, and gave the Grizzlies a decent shot at making the playoffs.

Morant averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks across 35.3 minutes played per game. He was shooting 47.1% from the floor, 27.5% from 3-point land and 81.3% from the free-throw line.

The Grizzlies have some talented players on their team, but it’s not easy to replace a talent like Morant.

Other Fantasy Options

Desmond Bane will go back to being the team’s top scoring threat, after doing so with Morant out to start the season.

Bane is averaging 24.7 points, 5.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1 steal and 0.6 blocks per game. He’s shooting 47.7% overall, 38.2% from deep and 86.5% from the line.

With Morant on the court this season, Bane was averaging 24.6 points, 6.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 0.6 steals and 0.2 blocks. His scoring average should remain similar to what it’s been all season, but with more opportunities for big scoring performances. His assists will likely dip down a bit while his rebound, steal and block numbers remain about the same.

Jaren Jackson Jr. is also averaging over 20 points a game for Memphis. He’s up to 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.7 assists and 0.8 steals across 36 games played.

Jackson’s averages with Morant on the court were: 21 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1 assist and steal and 1.9 blocks. In other words, Jackson’s numbers should remain pretty similar without him around.

Marcus Smart will benefit from some extra playing time with Morant not around. He’s played in 20 games this season, averaging 14.5 points, 4.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 0.3 blocks.

Smart played six games with Morant around, and he averaged 14.5 points, 2.8 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 0.2 blocks per game. Smart's assist numbers should go back up, while he’ll have a few more rebounding opportunities too.

Santi Aldama has played in 29 games this season, averaging 10.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.7 blocks and steals.

Aldama was at 7.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.4 blocks with Morant around. He’ll get some more scoring chances with Morant off the court.

I could go on with how several other players will get extended minutes or numbers with Morant out, but I wanted to focus on the biggest names and fantasy assets.

How to Approach Memphis Players

Albeit in a small sample size, you can see what having Morant on and off the court does to Bane, Jackson, Smart and Aldama.

Fantasy owners might think that no more Morant means bigger numbers for Bane, but numbers this season say otherwise. 

That means that you could maybe get a bit more in a trade if you wanted to ship Bane out. I’d throw Bane on the trade block and see what kind of offers pop up. I’d avoid trading for Bane, unless you can get him at a reasonable price. Bane is currently 28th on the FantasySP trade value charts.

Jackson doesn’t play the same position as Morant, but some fantasy owners might be thinking Jackson is in store for bigger averages without the star guard around. That hasn’t come true this season.

That makes Jackson another guy you could put on the trade block, to see if other fantasy owners may value him higher after the Morant injury. Similar to Bane, I’m only trading for Jackson if I can get him for the right value. Jackson sits 61st on the trade value charts, although currently being injured hurts that number a touch - it’s not viewed as a long-term injury, so there should be no worries there.

Smart’s scoring numbers aren’t too affected without Morant off the court, but his assist numbers should see a bump up. 

I’d be more interested in trading for Smart (especially because he’s also been in trade rumors) than dealing him away. He’s more of an end of the bench fantasy option as his 148th spot on the trade value charts suggests, but he’s going to be a fairly cheap player to acquire, and should up his fantasy value as the season continues - whether that’s in Memphis or somewhere else.

Aldama is owned in less than 20% of leagues right now, so he’s not a big trade commodity outside some deeper leagues. 

That own percentage was at or above 50% when Morant was suspended, and it might return to that value in short order. He’s one to monitor over the next few games. Add him as soon as you start seeing consistent play, otherwise you might miss out on him.