Ja Morant Miami House Sparks Heat Trade Buzz

Merlin sees Ja Morant quietly planting a flag in Miami. He was listed as an executor of a trust that bought a $3.2 million home on Dec. 23 about four miles from the Kaseya Center, and Yahoo Sports reported the Miami Heat have "quickly emerged as an attractive option to Morant and his camp." Anthony Chiang called talks "premature," but Memphis is entertaining offers for the first time, with Minnesota, Sacramento and Milwaukee also showing interest. Merlin senses the season’s turbulence pushed this move into the open. Morant has played 18 of 39 games amid a calf strain and a suspension after an argument with coach Tuomas Iisalo, and when available he averages 19.0 points and 7.6 assists. A fresh setting could reignite his peak form, yet any trade remains uncertain for now.