It had been a long time coming this offseason by the time the Memphis Grizzlies traded Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers in June.
The deal sent the mercurial point guard to Portland in exchange for Jerami Grant, Kris Murray and $1 million in cash. Memphis didn’t get any draft picks in the trade.
Really, though, it was just the Grizzlies deciding they had had enough of the Morant experience. They were ready to move on from the former No. 2 overall pick, and so they did.
They’ll get their first up-close look at Morant in a new uniform on Thursday night when Memphis plays in Portland.
But even before that game arrives, the Grizzlies have been able to watch from afar as Morant has shined brightly with his new team.
On Tuesday night, the Trail Blazers went into Los Angeles and handed the Lakers their first loss, 136-129. Portland is 3-0.
Morant led Portland in scoring in the win with 23 points on 9-for-13 from the floor while dishing out four assists.
His partnership in the backcourt with Damian Lillard (21 points against the Lakers) has gone as well as anyone could’ve hoped so far.
Ja Morant Stats
Morant has now played in three games with Portland before his first matchup with Memphis comes on Thursday.
He has made 58.8% of his shots in the early going, including 4-for-9 (44.4%) from 3-point range. Morant is averaging 16.3 points, 6.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
In his Portland debut, he went for 14 points, five rebounds, eight assists and three steals in a 41-point win over the Phoenix Suns.
The next time out, Morant had 12 points, three rebounds, seven assists and a steal in an eight-point win over the Sacramento Kings.
And we mentioned above his 23 points and four assists against the Lakers on Tuesday night.
It’s a small sample, but Morant appears to fit into a solid Portland offense alongside Lillard and Deni Avdija quite well.
Ja Morant Role
A big difference for Morant in Portland is that he doesn’t have to be the man. He can just be a high-quality player.
Instead of having to do a lot himself, Morant can rely on Lillard and Avdija to create. That can help get Morant easier looks as he starts to gel with his new teammates.
Morant’s talent has never really been in question. Now given a new stage to stand upon, Morant seems to be rediscovering his game quickly with the Trail Blazers.
Next up: Hosting Memphis on Thursday in what is sure to be a fascinating clash.
Grizzlies Watch as Ja Morant Shines for Trail Blazers