Ja Morant Trade: Grizzlies Send Two-Time All-Star to Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray

The Memphis Grizzlies have officially moved on from Ja Morant. The Grizzlies are trading two-time NBA All-Star Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, per ESPN's Shams Charania. The blockbuster deal closes the book on one of the most turbulent superstar tenures in recent NBA history and may be just the first move in what is shaping up to be a massive offseason in Portland.

Ja Morant Trade Details: What Each Team Gets

The terms of the deal are straightforward. Portland lands the headliner, a 26-year-old former All-Star with elite playmaking ability when healthy. Memphis gets back two proven veterans to aid their transition period.

Morant is signed for $42.2 million in 2026-27 and $44.9 million annually through 2028-29, money left over from the five-year, $197 million extension he signed in July 2022. Grant comes back to Memphis on a $34.2 million deal for 2026-27 with a player option for 2027-28 at $37.2 million.

Why the Grizzlies Traded Ja Morant

This deal did not come as a surprise. The Grizzlies have now traded all three of their former franchise cornerstones, Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson, since being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. Despite being considered one of the league's most talented young cores, the trio won just one playoff series across four appearances together.

Memphis fired head coach Taylor Jenkins last season and promoted assistant Tuomas Iisalo just nine games before the playoffs. The Grizzlies received solid marks in the 2026 NBA Draft but no player acquired was viewed as a direct replacement for Morant, and reports emerged shortly after the draft that he remained available. Memphis is in a full rebuild and prioritizing future cap flexibility over short-term competitiveness.

Ja Morant's Recent Injury and Availability History

Health has been the defining storyline of Morant's last three seasons. He has not played more than 65 games in a season since his rookie year. During the 2023-24 season, Morant appeared in just nine games after serving a 25-game suspension to start the year before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. This past season, he played in just 20 games, missing time with calf and ankle injuries and serving a one-game suspension. He averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists across those 20 appearances.

What the Ja Morant Trade Means for the Portland Trail Blazers

Portland is making a clear win-now push. Morant joins a Blazers team that will also welcome back Damian Lillard from his torn Achilles, with the franchise operating under new ownership from Tom Dundon and first-time head coach Micah Nori. The addition of Morant gives Portland a high-upside backcourt capable of competing in the Western Conference, provided both guards can stay on the floor.

The risk is real given Morant's injury history, but the reward of a healthy Morant-Lillard backcourt is the kind of upside that justifies the gamble for a franchise looking to accelerate its timeline.

Jaylen Brown Trade Rumors: Are the Trail Blazers Just Getting Started?

The Morant deal may only be the beginning. The Portland Trail Blazers are considered the front-runner to land Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jaylen Brown, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick.

Boston has been asking for up to four first-round picks in recent conversations with interested teams involving Brown. Portland has the assets to make it happen. The Blazers hold an unprotected 2028 Orlando Magic first-round pick, the more favorable of the Bucks' and Celtics' first-round picks in 2029, multiple pick swaps with Milwaukee, and their own future picks that could be packaged with players to put together a compelling offer.

On the player side, both Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan appear to be off the table in any potential deal, but Toumani Camara has entered the conversation alongside Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe as names that could be included as salary ballast and trade sweeteners.

Brown played 71 games for the Celtics last season, averaging 28.7 points on 47.7% shooting from the field, 34.7% from three, with 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Adding Brown to a core of Morant, Lillard, Avdija, and Clingan would immediately make Portland one of the most dangerous teams in the Western Conference.

No deal is done, but the Blazers' aggressive posture this offseason makes clear that ownership and management are swinging for the fences. Stay tuned.

Memphis Grizzlies Rebuild: What Comes Next

With Morant, Bane, and Jackson all gone, Memphis enters a new chapter. Desmond Bane was dealt to the Magic in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks, and a future pick swap. The Grizzlies now hold significant draft capital and roster flexibility as they build toward the next era of Grizzlies basketball.

We will continue to update this story as more details emerge.