Why Ja Morant Trade Hurts the Blazers Down the Line

The Portland Trail Blazers are excited to have Ja Morant on board, but it comes at a cost.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant looks on during the second quarter against the Boston Celtics. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Portland Trail Blazers are excited to have former All-Star point guard Ja Morant on board after acquiring him in a trade for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.

On paper, this is a smart deal for the Blazers. They didn't have to pay much to get some talent in the building. This deal has the potential to elevate Portland's ceiling tenfold and make them a true contender in the Western Conference. However, not everybody is a winner when it comes to this trade.

Deni Avdija, who is coming off the best season of his career and his first All-Star appearance since being selected as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, is someone who could be hurt by the long-term effects of this deal.

"The Blazers took on long-term money to put Avdija in a worse position. That's going to make renegotiating and extending his contract in 2027 more difficult," CBS Sports contributor Sam Quinn wrote. "For Portland, this trade may well be subtraction by addition. That they didn't pay much for that addition doesn't negate the possibility of subtraction. It's an explainable trade, but still not a good one."

What Does Deni Avdija's Future Look Like With the Blazers?

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija during the second half of game five. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Avdija is entering the third season of a four-year, $55 million contract. His descending value over the years makes it one of the best value contracts in the NBA. Very few All-Star caliber players are making only $13 million this season and $11 million next year.

This also means that the Blazers are going to need to pay up when Avdija's contract expires at the end of the 2027-28 campaign. It also happens to be when Morant's contract expires as well.

Morant is making $42 million this season and $44 million in 2027-28 before becoming a free agent in the summer of 2028. It's going to be difficult for the Blazers to sign both of them, especially when you also factor in Donovan Clingan's impending free agency, which is scheduled for the same year.

This current Blazers front office has two years to figure out who to build around moving forward. Recency bias leads that answer to be Avdija, but the Morant trade only complicates that answer. The Blazers won't be able to choose everybody, so they will have some very important decisions to make when figuring out who to build around for the years to come.