Grizzlies move roster and Ja Morant is traded to Trail Blazers in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray
This Monday, the Memphis Grizzlies announced the negotiation of Ja Morant with the Portland Trail Blazers. The transaction marks a defining chapter for the Memphis franchise and offers the two-time All-Star an opportunity to restructure his trajectory in Portland.
To seal the deal, the Portland Trail Blazers sent Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to the Memphis Grizzlies. The movement of players promises a significant impact on the compositions of both teams.
In an emotional message, the Grizzlies expressed their gratitude on social media: “Champion 12, thank you for every highlight, every memory, every unforgettable moment and for everything you gave to this team, this community and this city.”
The Memphis team carried out a complete restructuring, trading the three main talents of its young formation Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. since being eliminated in the first round of the 2025 playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite being considered one of the most promising young squads in the league, the trio achieved just one playoff series victory in their four appearances together, culminating in a bold decision by the board that dismantled the foundation that was being built.
With the departure of its stars, Memphis opens a new phase, which will be led by Cameron Boozer, the third pick in the 2026 draft. The expectation is for a reconstruction focused on new talent.
Morant, who is 26, has played in just 79 games over the past three seasons. His absence was the result of off-field issues and injuries since his last consecutive All-Star Game appearance in 2023. Now, he joins a young Blazers team that returned to the playoffs in 2021 and has Deni Avdija as one of its standouts. However, the point guard position in Portland already has experienced names such as Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard, who returned to the franchise on a three-year contract after a stint with the Milwaukee Bucks, as well as Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.
There are still two years and approximately $87 million left on Ja Morant’s rookie max contract. Jerami Grant, 32, has one year left on his contract before a $36 million player option clause for the 2027-28 season. 25-year-old Kris Murray is expected to become a restricted free agent next summer.
Over the past few years, some of Morant’s absences have been caused by league-imposed suspensions. He served an eight-game suspension in March 2023 for inappropriate conduct and a further 25 games at the start of the 2023-24 season, both cases related to displaying a firearm on Instagram live streams. The Grizzlies also suspended him for one game in November following a disagreement with coach Tuomas Iisalo following a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In addition to disciplinary issues, Morant has faced a series of injuries over the past three years, including shoulder and elbow problems that required surgery, ending his seasons early.
The Grizzlies had already expressed strong interest in trading Morant before last season’s trade deadline, but found little receptivity in the market. The athlete suffered an injury before the deadline and did not return to play for the remainder of that season. His performance dropped to 19.5 points, with 41% shooting from the field and 23.5% on three-pointers, the worst rates of his career in the 20 games in which he was on the court.
Throughout his professional career, Ja Morant averages 22.4 points and 7.4 assists per game.
