Ja Morant will be playing in a fresh environment next season with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he will play alongside a slew of young players and several NBA veterans, including franchise legend Damian Lillard.
And that is why a former NBA MVP candidate is happy to see Morant land in Portland this offseason.
Joakim Noah Says Ja Morant Would Benefit in Portland
According to Joakim Noah, who finished fourth in the regular-season MVP voting in 2014, Morant would benefit from playing alongside Lillard in Portland, as he has a chance to redeem himself after a tumultuous end to his stint with the Memphis Grizzlies.
“I hope so,” Noah said when asked about Morant possibly having a leap this upcoming season in an interview with The Man on Show. “You’re young, you might make some mistakes, but you got to bounce back. Just some new scenery… sometimes it makes all the difference.”
“I’m happy that he is in Portland. I think Dame is there as well, so he has some veteran leadership at the point guard position, somebody who can be in his ear and help him out on the things he’s been going through, and just make him a better point guard. At the end of the day, this is about winning basketball games.”
For Portland, the Morant acquisition represents a high-upside, “buy low” gamble on a superstar talent whose trade value had dipped following several seasons marred by injuries and off-court suspensions.
Morant received an eight-game suspension in March 2023 for flashing a gun in a nightclub, followed by a 25-game suspension later that year after a second live-streamed gun incident. There were also reports of some internal locker-room friction between Morant and the Grizzlies’ coaching staff toward the end of his tenure in Memphis.
In Portland, he will be guided by Lillard and two-time NBA champion Jrue Holiday as the Trail Blazers look to take a jump next season.
Ja Morant Reveals Feelings On Playing For The Portland Trail Blazers
Ja Morant revealed his thoughts on playing for the Portland Trail Blazers in the upcoming season.
Morant said in his first media availability since getting traded in June that he wants to clear up his image with Portland.
“What would I like cleared up? I think you know the answer to that. My image. [That] I’m a bad guy,” Morant said. “I’m Ja. I’ve done what I’ve done in the past, but it’s been addressed and handled already. I don’t see why, years later, that’s still the topic when nothing’s happened since. If I was that guy, y’all wouldn’t be talking to me now. I wouldn’t be here.”
“New home. New team. New organization. I get to show the fans in Portland a different Ja. It’s like starting all over again…Over the years, I’ve grown a lot and learned a lot. My mindset changed. I go into things differently now. I feel more mature, and I’m ready to work,” he added.
Morant will share the backcourt with Lillard, Holiday, Scoot Henderson, and Shaedon Sharpe, alongside last year’s primary ball handler Deni Avdija.
The Trail Blazers reached the first round of the playoffs but lost in five games against the Victor Wembanyama-led San Antonio Spurs.
Ex-NBA MVP Candidate Reveals Why Portland Could Be Perfect for Ja Morant