The Memphis Grizzlies are trading Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Morant will make $42.1 million next season and $44 million in the 2027-28 season, the last year of his contract.
In 20 games for Memphis this past season, Morant averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists per contest. He was the 2019-20 Rookie of the Year and the 2021-22 Most Improved Player of the Year.
A two-time All-Star, Morant holds career averages of 22.4 points and 7.4 assists per game in the regular season and 26.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game in the playoffs. He’s only been past the first round of the playoffs once. That was back in 2022.
Morant joins Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan in Portland. The Trail Blazers made the playoffs this past season despite Lillard not playing due to his Achilles tear. They didn’t bring Tiago Splitter back as head coach, though.
Splitter was hired by the Chicago Bulls, while the Trail Blazers hired Micah Nori.
Portland envisions a starting backcourt of Lillard and Morant, per NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Morant was the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Murray State. He’s played in only 79 regular-season games since the start of the 2023-24 season.
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