Trade Grade: Blazers Get Ja Morant From Grizzlies in Blockbuster

Ja Morant is heading from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Portland Trail Blazers to team up with Damian Lillard.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant watches from the bench. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers are making a stunning move by acquiring Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.

ESPN insider Shams Charania was the first to report the news.

BREAKING: The Memphis Grizzlies are trading two-time NBA All-Star Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/FJOTzGe5Tr

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2026

Why Trail Blazers Made the Trade

The Blazers are looking to build a team that can make it further in the Western Conference playoffs, so they went ahead and acquired Morant, who is coming off a difficult season with the Grizzlies. A fresh change of scenery could bring out the best in him.

The Blazers will now have a backcourt with Morant and Damian Lillard, which could provide an awkward fit on paper. However, the playmaking skills the two of them possess could make Portland's offense a scary one to go against.

Portland basically gets Morant for an expiring Murray contract and Grant's deal to match salaries. This is pretty good value for a player who has averaged 22.4 points and 7.4 assists per game throughout his career so far.

Another Trade Coming?

The terms of this trade suggest that the Blazers aren't done in the grand scheme of things. They now have Lillard and Morant paired with Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson. It will be hard for the Blazers to find minutes for three of them, let alone four.

This opens the door for a player like Henderson, who has one year remaining on his rookie contract, to be the next one to go. Henderson could draw interest from around the league as a low-risk, high-reward option at the point guard position. Holiday could also draw interest as a veteran defensive-minded guard.

The Blazers are moving on from Grant and Murray, both of whom were expected to come off the bench if they remained with the team this season. Murray has one year left on his rookie deal while Grant has two years, including a player option for the 2027-28 campaign that's worth $36 million.

Grant's contract was always going to be difficult to move off of, but it was also expected to be a catalyst for a bigger trade for a player like Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics. With Grant gone, Morant could be the player that connects a bigger trade, but given where his trade value was throughout the year, it's unlikely that Portland is looking to move him again.

With free agency beginning on Tuesday, the Blazers are bound for a busy summer that's officially kicked off.