After seeking a trade partner for the better part of two seasons, the Memphis Grizzlies have sent star guard Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Morant was dealt to the team in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.
The deal follows years of speculation that the Grizzlies were looking to trade the former second-overall pick away due to his laundry list of injuries and suspensions by the league.
In the mark of a total rebuild, Memphis has now moved all three of their franchise pieces (Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr) after being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2025 playoffs.
While Morant’s talent is undeniable – evidenced by his career average 22.4 points and 7.4 assists per game – he has been unavailable at multiple points since making his second All-Star appearance in 2023.
In total, Morant has only played 79 of a possible 246 games over the past three seasons.
The Memphis Grizzlies have traded controversial guard Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers
Part of the reason for his absence is due to multiple injuries he picked up over the course of that three seasons span.
In January of the 2023-24 season, he underwent right shoulder surgery during team practice – ending his campaign after playing just nine games.
Two seasons later, in the 2025-26 campaign, Morant sprained his UCL. While it was initially believed that he would only miss a few weeks, the team shut him down for the season on March 24.
MORE TO FOLLOW.
