The Miami Heat faced off against the Phoenix Suns tonight in a thrilling 127-121 win that saw center Bam Adebayo take over in the fourth quarter. However, one key moment from the star stood out, perhaps referencing Miami’s connections to estranged Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant.

With 1:49 left on the clock and the Heat down by one, Adebayo knocked down a clutch three-pointer to take the lead despite a contest from Suns guard Jordan Goodwin. Immediately afterward, Adebayo turned around, putting his hands around his ears to celebrate the shot. It was a daring move, and fans immediately recognized the significance of the gesture.

As soon as clips of the moment began to spread, fans instantly recognized it as the “block the noise” gesture that Ja Morant had begun using last season, following one of the most heavily scrutinized periods of his career. This wasn’t an interaction, but an association, enough to ignite a narrative in today’s NBA.

The gesture is a multi-part celebration: Morant simulates firing finger guns, then mimics pulling a grenade pin, tossing it, and covering his ears to “block the noise”—a symbolic way of silencing critics.

He first deployed the finger guns on April 1, 2025, during a game against the Golden State Warriors, which resulted in a $75,000 fine.

A week later, on April 8, he unveiled the complete grenade version against the Charlotte Hornets, then repeated it on April 10 versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. Morant described the gesture as his way of dismissing “words” and tuning out external criticism.

The celebration sparked immediate controversy, particularly given Morant’s history of gun-related suspensions in 2023 and 2024. Media personalities and fans questioned its appropriateness, with Charles Barkley among those criticizing it on air.

Despite the backlash, Morant remained defiant, stating he would continue using the gesture until officially forced to stop.

“It’s not what you think it is,” the Grizzlies guard told reporters back then. “I’m gonna take my words, I’m gonna throw them out there, and then I’mma block out the noise.”

This matters now because Morant and the Heat have recently been linked. After poor on-court production and a suspension, the Grizzlies are willing to listen to offers for Morant, who was previously thought of as the cornerstone of the franchise.

More importantly, NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Miami was one of the teams that had a “level of interest” in pursuing him.

Inside the Specifics of a Potential Ja Morant Trade to the Miami Heat

The simple reason the Heat keep coming up in Ja Morant trade speculation is for one simple reason: it’s one of the few teams that can take a calculated risk without exchanging any high-level star.

Around the league, the expectation is likely that the return wouldn’t be premium draft capital or upside players.

In practical terms, any realistic framework of a deal would likely revolve around Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier’s dead money, and minimal draft compensation, if any, in exchange for Morant and salary filler.

That’s not reflective of Morant’s talent, but his current standing in the market. Rival executives see this as a buy-low opportunity, and Miami has no reason to attach big assets when other teams are just as hesitant about Morant’s injuries, shooting regression, and long contract.

Top Stories

Insider Announces Tragic Anthony Davis News After Kyrie Irving Update

Is Stephen Curry Playing Tonight? Warriors vs Trail Blazers Latest Injury Report (Jan 13)

Is Kevin Durant Dating EJ Johnson? Fact Checking Viral Claim

Fans Convinced Deandre Ayton’s Lakers Career Is Over After LeBron James’ Reaction

Anthony Davis Exposes Shams Charania and ESPN in Epic Twitter Rant

Veteran NBA reporter Rachel Nichols pushed back against the idea of Ja Morant joining the Miami Heat, despite reports that the guard wants to be traded there.

Speaking on a Sports Illustrated podcast with Chris Mannix, Nichols—who previously covered the Heat—argued that Morant would be a poor cultural fit for the franchise.

She described Miami as a team built on discipline, accountability, and a “no-nonsense” culture under Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra. In contrast, she said Morant’s style of play and approach to the game “seems to be the opposite” of what the Heat represent.

His recent off-court issues and reported clashes with coaches in Memphis, she suggested, run counter to Miami’s identity.

“I know he wants to go down there, from what I’ve heard, I just can’t imagine that would be a smart move,” Nichols concluded.

She believes the Heat’s emphasis on structure, conditioning, and player accountability is fundamentally at odds with Morant’s more freewheeling, high-risk style and his history of suspensions.

Beyond the cultural concerns, the timing is problematic. Morant has only two seasons remaining on his contract after 2025–26, meaning Miami would likely need to surrender multiple young players and draft picks for a short-term window.

Such a move could jeopardize the franchise’s future flexibility, including a potential pursuit of a bigger free agent like Giannis Antetokounmpo.

If the Heat do walk, that’ll say more about the guard’s league-wide value rather than whatever is going on behind the scenes in South Beach.