Carmelo Anthony has a pretty clear idea of what Ja Morant needs, and it’s not more highlight dunks or flashy assists. It’s a veteran who will grab him by the jersey and pull him into the huddle.
Speaking on his 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast, the former NBA star broke down what he thinks is missing for Morant after the Memphis Grizzlies sent him to Portland in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. The trade, which went down Monday afternoon, gives the Trail Blazers a former All-Star point guard with undeniable talent but a checkered off-court history.
Morant needs a culture, not just a team
Anthony didn’t dance around it. He said Morant built a culture in Memphis — his own culture, separate from the grit-and-grind era of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. But now he needs an organization where that foundation is already set.
“He created the culture in Memphis,” Anthony said. “Z-Bo and those guys, they had one culture. Ja, in this time, got another culture. He created that. He need to go somewhere that is already centered around culture and hard work and discipline. He need help in the sense of a community on a team.”
That’s where Lillard comes in. Anthony believes the veteran Blazers guard can offer something Morant hasn’t consistently had: a respected voice in the locker room who isn’t afraid to say the hard thing.
“This is where vets come in at,” Anthony said. “This is why there’s no vets. There’s no people in there who can, ‘Yo, I got you. I’ma tell you what is going on, but I got you, too. Nah, don’t do that. Yo, come on.’”
He painted a specific picture. One where Morant is standing on the sideline, maybe frustrated, maybe checked out, and a teammate like Lillard steps in.
“When he’s standing up on the sideline like that, ‘Come on, man. Come on, get in the huddle. Ja, get in the huddle. Come on, let’s go. We’ll deal with that later.’ That’s the type of person he needs — somebody who he respects.”
The numbers tell part of the story
Morant only played 20 games in the 2025-26 season. He averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists in 28 minutes a night — solid numbers, but not the superstar production everyone expects. The bigger question is whether he can stay on the floor and out of trouble.
Portland is betting Lillard’s presence can help with that. The Blazers have a veteran backcourt now, and they’re hoping to build around one of the league’s most gifted point guards. But talent was never the issue with Morant. It was everything else.
Anthony’s point is simple: Morant doesn’t need another coach or another system. He needs a dude who’s been through it and can say, I got you, then mean it.
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