Oh, how the mighty come crashing down.
The Memphis Grizzlies began the early stages of a rebuild at the trade deadline back in February, shipping out Jaren Jackson Jr. in a blockbuster deal. Ever since, similar rumors have swirled suggesting that Ja Morant could be on the move, though the return such a deal could fetch has been debated plenty due to the star point guard’s questionable health and massive contract.
Now, the Morant era in Memphis is coming to an abrupt close as the Grizzlies finally send their former franchise player packing for the Portland Trail Blazers. Here are immediate reactions and trade grades for both sides.
Ja Morant trade grades
On Monday afternoon, ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news that Morant is officially on the move. Per the insider, the point guard is being sent to Portland in return for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. It does not appear there are any other moving parts as of this time, making this a straight two-for-one swap between Western Conference teams.
At first glance, this seems like a confusing deal on the surface. The Trail Blazers currently have Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard as their projected starting guards for this upcoming season, the latter of whom traditionally demands a hefty on-ball role. For the Grizzlies, they aren’t getting much in return for a former foundational talent.
There are certainly ways to justify the math here. For Memphis, offloading Morant’s huge contract has been a priority in recent months with two seasons of salary remaining at roughly between $42-$45 million per year. When he initially signed that deal, it was backloaded and has increased substantially since kicking in back in 2023. Certainly, that extension has aged less than gracefully as Morant has struggled to stay on the court for significant stretches. After playing just nine, 50 and 20 games across each of the last three seasons while dealing with injuries and other off-court issues, the contract quickly became something of an anchor for the organization. Beyond that, Morant’s play has regressed — he averaged just 19.5 points per game on career-worst efficiency of a 41.0% FG% and 23.5% 3P% in 2025-26.
For Memphis, it’s difficult not to consider this deal something of a win simply because the franchise offloaded Morant’s money. Factor in his availability issues and the Grizzlies clearly come out ahead, even with a return of Jerami Grant and Kris Murray bringing in a veteran forward on a bloated contract of his own and a young role player. Despite Grant making $34 million this upcoming season and potentially $36 million if he opts into a player option in 2027-28, Memphis still saves a little bit of cash here with a chance to flip him for assets at a later date.
Now, the trade is a bit tougher to justify from the perspective of Portland. Lillard is set to return to the court for the first time in over a year after rehabbing a significant injury, and reporting from NBA insider Chris Haynes suggests the franchise envisions a starting backcourt that includes both he and Morant. Lillard’s ability to space the floor does pair well with Morant’s rim pressure, but there are surely significant questions about the distribution of on-ball responsibilities between the pair, especially when considering the recent breakout campaign from Deni Avdija, who excelled in a high-usage role en route to his first All-Star nod. That also doesn’t factor in the presence of Holiday, who is a respected veteran himself and remains a starting-caliber combo guard.
With over $90 million invested in the backcourt trio of Morant, Lillard and Holiday, it’s worth asking whether there’s another move brewing for the Trail Blazers. They’ve been rumored to be in the running for Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown or another top talent on the block, and with other young pieces and draft assets to work with, it’s possible this front office isn’t done. With that said, it’s tough to feel positive about this deal for Morant — even in the context of the low asset cost it took to acquire him. Yes, the 26-year-old was once a franchise point guard who captivated fans with his explosive play, but the recent returns on the floor simply haven’t been good.
For Portland, this is a great buy-low shot in terms of asset management. However, it’s unlikely to pay off in terms of the contract value unless Morant can regain something closer to his old form while simultaneously stay healthier for the first time in many years. With a career-high mark of 67 games played during his rookie campaign and 63 or fewer in the other six seasons, that’s a tough sell that. For the Trail Blazers, they’ll likely be disappointed by their report card. As of this time, it hasn’t significantly moved the needle either since the franchise still comes in at +4000 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook to win the Western Conference next season with +3500 odds to even win their own division.
As for Memphis, imagine telling a fan of the team back around 2022-2023 that the franchise superstar would be traded for so little just a few years down the line. However, that’s the situation the Grizzlies land in, and the harsh reality is that they’d have been served better if they’d done this sooner rather than letting the saga drag out to this point. At least Grant can play a positive role in the locker room for the start of the rebuild while Murray provides a little intrigue as a possible rotational piece. Still, could they have gotten more for Morant even after the 2024-25 campaign? Probably so. Memphis earns a passing grade, but should’ve studied harder.
