Western Conference Playoff Team Eyeing Ja Morant, Kyrie Irving

The NBA offseason is starting to gain a lot of steam in the rumor mill.

The 2026 NBA Draft begins on June 23, the free agency period begins after that, and the trade headline is Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

With lots of activity set to happen in the next month, one team is reportedly eyeing some veterans: The Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves lost in the Western Conference Semifinal round to the San Antonio Spurs in six games, and they are trying to get over the hump and make an NBA Finals appearance with Anthony Edwards leading the way.

In turn, the Timberwolves have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring guards Kyrie Irving or Ja Morant, according to Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

"[Timberwolves president Tim] Connelly pursued stars like Kevin Durant and Antetokounmpo (at the February trade deadline) while showing some level of interest in others like Kyrie Irving and Ja Morant, but has yet to land a high-profile running mate for Anthony Edwards," they wrote.

Now, the Dallas Mavericks said in November that they didn't want to trade Irving. However, firing Jason Kidd might change that sentiment, and new Mavericks President Masai Ujiri said they will try to figure out how to make it work with Cooper Flagg and Irving next to each other.

Then again, a decent offer might compel the Mavericks to move on, especially with a lot of young players on the roster in Dallas.

Grizzlies in Wait-And-See Mode With Morant

By now, it is no secret: The Memphis Grizzlies are going to trade Morant.

The question is, when will they do it?

Kurt Helin of NBC Sports says the Grizzlies will likely wait to see how the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes plays out.

"Morant is expected to be traded this offseason, although the Grizzlies will wait until the Antetokounmpo drama plays out before making a move, to see whether any teams that strike out with the Greek Freak pivot to Morant," Helin wrote.

The Timberwolves have been one of the teams linked to Antetokounmpo as well, although the Milwaukee Bucks star sure made it clear he wants to stay in the Eastern Conference.

At the end of the day, Morant and Edwards together should be a very fun sight to see.

Related: Magic's Chances of Landing Giannis Antetokounmpo Doused in Cold Water

Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published June 13, 2026 at 7:08 PM.