Ja Morant 'Grateful' For Grizzlies, but 'Super Excited' with Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Ja Morant speaks out officially on his blockbuster trade from the Memphis Grizzlies after spending seven years with the team.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant reacts during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The carousel is beginning to slow down a little bit for Portland Trail Blazers point guard Ja Morant, who was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Pacific Northwest on June 30.

The trade was officially agreed upon on July 6, which was the first day of the new league year. Now that the paperwork and details of the trade are official, Morant is settling into his new home and organization. He was able to speak with reporters for the first time since the trade to share his thoughts on his fresh start.

"I was just grateful for all of it. Obviously, it was things I learned through that process. Obviously, I understood that it's a business, and they decided what they wanted to do for the organization. Now it's my time here in Portland. My focus during that time after the season was to make sure I was in shape and working to be ready for wherever I was going and I was here," Morant said in an interview with reporters.

You can watch Morant's full interview courtesy of the Portland Trail Blazers below.

Morant Wants to Move on From the Past

Morant is coming to Portland with a new perspective. He has fully processed the trade, but now he believes it is time to get to work.

"I'm super excited to be in Portland. I'm ready to get started there. I'm definitely grateful for my time in Memphis. That'll always be home for me, but it's time to get to work now," Morant added.

Morant is grateful for the relationships he built while in Memphis, but he's ready to move past some of the times that got him in trouble.

In March 2023, Morant was suspended for flashing a gun on an Instagram Live video. After a second offense, just two months later, he was suspended for 25 games at the start of the 2023-24 campaign.

This past season, Morant was suspended one game by the Grizzlies for conduct detrimental to the team after an argument with Memphis head coach Tuomas Iisalo.

Now, Morant gets a chance to start a new chapter, and he cannot wait to get things going this summer as he preps for his first season in Portland.

"I feel like over the years I've grown a lot and learned a lot. My mindset has changed, and I go into things differently now. I feel like I'm more mature and ready to work," Morant said in the interview.