Story perspectives

Portland Gets Ja Morant, Saves $8M, Trades Grant, Murray

7/13/2026

Summary

Morant Joins Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers acquired guard Ja Morant from Memphis Grizzlies on June 29, 2026.
Portland sent Jerami Grant (with a $36.4 million option) and Kris Murray (one year left) to Memphis, saving $8 million in cap space.
Morant said the trade feels like starting over and praised Portland’s outdoors for walking, biking, kayaking and fishing.
GM Micah Nori described Morant’s role as low-pressure beside Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Deni Avdija.

Summary

Morant Preps Portland

Morant spent four months conditioning and weight training, saying his body feels great heading into the season.
He averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists per game last season despite playing only 20 games because of injuries.
Portland’s guard-heavy roster, featuring Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, creates a backcourt logjam as Morant, a Kentucky-trained South Carolina native, regularly visits Nike’s headquarters in Portland.

History

Historical Context

In February 1995 the Portland Trail Blazers, out of contention, traded star guard Clyde Drexler to the Houston Rockets, a move that helped Houston win its second consecutive NBA title. Portland’s 2026 acquisition of Ja Morant from Memphis, sending Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, reflects the same cap-flexibility strategy used to reshape a franchise’s competitive window.

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Morant Joins Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers acquired guard Ja Morant from Memphis Grizzlies on June 29, 2026.
Portland sent Jerami Grant (with a $36.4 million option) and Kris Murray (one year left) to Memphis, saving $8 million in cap space.
Morant said the trade feels like starting over and praised Portland’s outdoors for walking, biking, kayaking and fishing.
GM Micah Nori described Morant’s role as low-pressure beside Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Deni Avdija.

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