The Portland Trail Blazers pulled off a quiet but significant trade Monday, sending Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to Memphis in exchange for Ja Morant. It was one of those deals that didn’t leak early, didn’t generate hours of ESPN debate beforehand. But now that it’s done, the questions are pouring in faster than Morant ever pushed the ball in transition.
Portland’s backcourt is suddenly jammed. Damian Lillard is expected back from an Achilles injury. Jrue Holiday is still there. So are Scott Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Blake Wesley. That’s six guards who all need minutes. And that’s before you consider whether Morant can even get back to being the guy who looked like the next face of the league a couple years ago.
Skip Bayless weighs in
Skip Bayless, never one to stay quiet on a polarizing player, posted his thoughts on X. He said he’s intrigued by the move and will definitely watch. But he also raised the same question a lot of fans are asking.
“Dame is no longer prime Dame, and Ja just hasn’t been Ja since all his suspensions. Feels like his spirit was broken. Maybe he just needs a fresh start. But I’m not sure how he’ll fit among all those guards,” Bayless wrote.
It’s hard to argue with that. Morant has played only 79 games over the last three seasons. Injuries. Suspensions. The whole gun incident and the fallout that followed. This season he averaged 19.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 8.1 assists in 20 games. Those numbers are fine but they’re nowhere near the MVP-level chatter we heard a couple years ago.
What this means for the Brown pursuit
The timing of this trade is interesting because Portland had been linked to Jaylen Brown for months. Boston is reportedly asking for at least four first-round picks in any deal for Brown. The Blazers gave up two players in this trade but didn’t touch their future draft capital. So the door isn’t closed on a Brown trade. But adding Morant certainly makes it feel less likely. You don’t bring in a max-contract point guard and then go chase another max-contract wing unless you’re planning some serious roster shuffling.
Nori’s first big test
First-year coach Micah Nori is now staring at one of the trickier locker room situations in the league. Morant is brash and unpredictable. Lillard has been the face of the franchise for a decade. Holiday is a respected veteran who just wants to win. Nori has to figure out rotations, egos, and minutes. None of that will be easy.
Morant, when fully locked in and healthy, is arguably the most electrifying guard in the NBA. His explosiveness, his finishing at the rim, his ability to warp a defense just by pushing the pace. But that version of Morant hasn’t shown up consistently in a long time. Maybe a fresh city and a fresh start get him back there. Maybe not. Portland is betting it will.
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