The Portland Trail Blazers pulled off a trade that caught basically everyone off guard. They sent Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to Memphis and brought Ja Morant back to the Pacific Northwest. This is the same Ja Morant who has played a combined 79 games over the last three seasons.
Morant’s availability has been a real problem. Nine games in 2023-24. Fifty in 2024-25. Just 20 this past season before an elbow injury ended things early, and honestly the Grizzlies weren’t exactly motivated to rush him back given they planned to move him this summer. The guy is electric when he’s on the floor but staying there has been the issue.
Still, the Blazers see something worth the gamble. And they made sure their franchise guy was on board.
Lillard’s first words to his new backcourt partner
Damian Lillard posted a video on the team’s official Twitter account. No elaborate statement or press conference. Just a quick, genuine welcome.
“Ja, what’s good bro,” Lillard said. “Pleasure to have you man, welcome to Portland. Let’s get to work. Let’s do it!”
That’s it. Short and direct. Lillard is coming off an Achilles tear himself, so there’s some shared rehab energy here. Both guys have something to prove about their health and their game.
What the numbers say about Morant
For his career, Morant averages 22.4 points, 8.1 assists, and a steal per game. He shoots 46.6 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from three. Those are legit numbers for a two-time All-Star. The question was never talent. It was durability and off-court stuff, and the Blazers are clearly betting that a change of scenery changes that equation.
The Grizzlies reportedly didn’t want to risk further injury down the stretch because they knew a trade was coming. That kind of tells you where both sides were mentally.
Portland’s suddenly crowded backcourt
Morant joins a team that already has Lillard, Jrue Holiday, and Scoot Henderson (the former No. 2 overall pick). Deni Avdija also handles some point-forward duties. That’s a lot of mouths to feed on one roster. But the Blazers are apparently comfortable with the risk. Morant, for his part, is reportedly excited to get going in a new environment with new teammates.
Nobody knows if this works. The Blazers are betting that Morant’s best basketball is still ahead of him and that a fresh start in Portland unlocks a version of him we haven’t seen since 2022. We’ll find out soon enough.
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