Ja Morant will be playing with the Portland Trail Blazers in the upcoming season after playing his seven years in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies.
This comes after the Grizzlies traded Morant in a shocking deal, not because a former All-Star was the centerpiece, but because of the underwhelming return they received.
Ja’s father Tee Morant blasted the Grizzlies organization for the trade, warning them that once the Blazers and the Grizzlies meet on the court, it would be a “reckoning.”
“I don’t have a bad thing to say about Memphis, because it wasn’t Memphis that traded [Ja], and we don’t trade Memphis. It was the organization that felt like they was going down another path, and I guess we didn’t belong,” Tee Morant said on his podcast.
“It’s no hard feelings, but when we get on that court, you better know it’s a reckoning.”
Ja Morant’s Stunning Deal To The Portland Trail Blazers
In June, the Grizzlies traded two-time All-Star guard Morant to the Trail Blazers in a three-player package. In exchange, Portland sent forwards Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to Memphis.
Notably, no picks were involved in the deal.
The trade concluded Morant’s seven-season tenure with Memphis, where he averaged 22.4 points and 7.4 assists per game, while allowing the Grizzlies to clear salary and pivot toward a younger core.
For Portland, the move adds Morant, who is signed through the 2027–28 season on a five-year, $197.2 million extension, to a backcourt rotation featuring Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, and Scoot Henderson.
Before the trade, Morant faced a turbulent period in Memphis marred by a barrage of off-court controversies, injuries, and plummeting production.
Once considered the future cornerstone of the franchise, Morant’s availability and reputation deteriorated following multiple high-profile incidents where he brandished firearms on social media, resulting in an eight-game league suspension in March 2023 and a massive 25-game suspension to open the 2023-2024 season.
Ja Morant Wants To Have A New Brand Of Basketball In Portland
Ja Morant felt that as long as he was playing for the Memphis Grizzlies, his past issues would continue to be brought up.
Now, he feels the Blazers are giving a new lease of life in his NBA career.
“Everything that happened over the years pretty much was just stuck with me; everyone just keeps bringing [those things] up,” Morant said on media day. “As long as Memphis was across my chest it was still getting said.”
Morant is also getting confidence from the Blazers’ front office as general manager Joe Cronin reaffirmed the team’s belief in the guard’s value to the squad.
“Straight belief in Ja, more than anything,” Cronin said. “We’re very confident that Ja has a lot of good years ahead of him.”
“For us, I’m sure there will be questions around fit, position, all those different things. But we’re very focused, and will continue to be, on talent and adding to our talent base as much as we can.”
Morant is expected to be a starter for the squad alongside veteran and franchise icon Damian Lillard. He will also be sharing the backcourt with young Scoot Henderson and former two-time NBA champion Jrue Holiday.
The expectations for the Blazers are about them making the playoffs once again after being the No. 7 last season before losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
Ja Morant Dad Sends Warning To Memphis Grizzlies After Trade