Ja Morant traded to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray

sportsJun 29, 2026641,324

The Memphis Grizzlies traded two-time NBA All-Star Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, sources told ESPN and Shams Charania. Morant had been the face of the franchise for seven seasons and won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2020 and the Most Improved Player Award, per reports. Over the last three seasons Morant played 79 total games and had not played in seven straight games for the Grizzlies since the 2022-23 season, according to sample reporting. Portland observers and reporters envision a backcourt pairing of Damian Lillard and Ja Morant, and other posts note the Blazers now carry multiple high-usage guards including Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, and Shaedon Sharpe. Analysts pointed out immediate salary-cap consequences: Portland used a 125 percent trade exception to acquire Morant and is hard capped to the first apron, while still retaining tax room to pursue moves such as re-signing Robert Williams and using a roughly $15 million mid-level exception. The trade completes immediately rather than waiting until July 6, per breaking reports.

Shams Charania Tweets

@shamsbot.bsky.social

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.

21445d ago

Tim W19

So they now have Jrue Holiday, Damian Lillard, J Morant AND Scoot Henderson? They’re either setting up to make another trade or they’re looking to have the smallest backcourt in the league.

👑 🚫Xx_DemocracyLover69_xX11

As a blazer fan, I don't get it

Ghost of Tuvix (Revived)9

Going from one poverty franchise to another literal poverty franchise is nasty business

soup loop6

This is going to come in really handy when Shaedon Sharpe, Jrue Holiday, and Damian Lillard get injured the 1st week and Scoot gets injured in preseason.

NBA Causal4

Bartender, I think you need to cut the NBA off. I’ll call them a car, they are in no condition to drive.

GERTY4

This move catapults Portland to the best backcourt in 2022.

Quoting this

Frankie18

Ja on the Blazers, call it Guns & Roses

Opinionated Wino, aka Sean12

Hoping and praying that Nori is a shithead whisperer

Luke DeCock8

Find someone who loves you like Tom Dundon loves acquiring a distressed asset.

Corey Rayburn Yung7

The Jailblazers are back, baby!

Erik García Gundersen6

ESPN starts saying Boston is more likely than ever to run it back and then about an hour later this happens. Either they’re negotiating through the media still or JB isn’t getting traded.

Vasu4

Dame, Scoot, Morant, Sharpe, Caleb Love, Jrue. What is Portland thinking? I don't get this trade at all.

Carley Carden2

I’m honestly even sadder and more devastated for my Ja-loving Memphis Grizzlies fans right now than I have been for all the (understandably!) sad and devastated Giannis-loving Milwaukee Bucks fans out there, which is to say, ~VERY~. Ja went to school near Memphis, and was a legit ~revelation~. 😔

Keerthika Uthayakumar

@keerthikau.bsky.social

Ja Morant has played 79 total games over the last 3 seasons, hasn't played in 7 straight games for the Grizzlies since the 2022-23 season.

14345d ago

Baumer3

Portland Trailblazers: well-known for straightening out wayward younger players.

Paul Tree2

And this point you can change the tense on that to “didn’t play 7 straight games after the 2022-23 season”

Carl Gibson 🍉2

I remember when everyone thought Zion and Ja would be running the league. Now one is weighed down by soul food and the other may have already peaked. Wild

cascadian1.bsky.social1

Bona fide HOLY SHIT moment. We’re not talking about el-cheapo anymore are we? Hell of a topic defection acquisition. Galaxy brain stuff

Rob (Taylor's Version)1

2× ALL TIME NBA shooters (1🏀 & 1🔫)

Fractionalized Monkey Jpegs1

But Portland needs a shooter

Quoting this

Darin Gantt2

A year ago, this is the return the Hornets would have gotten for LaMelo Ball. And everyone would have bitched and yelled and wondered why they didn't get more. Because physically broken players with big contracts have negative value, that's why. Instead, Charlotte polished him up and sold high.

KeithSmithNBA

@keithsmithnba.bsky.social

Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and now Ja Morant. Something has to give there.

8545d ago

Albert Tecci LMFT 4

Jrue Scoot and MIL pick(s) for Jaylen?

donnysmithern.bsky.social1

I like this move a lot. Morant is healthy now and has a lot to prove. Portland has a lot of young proven talent on their roster. My guess is Holiday will be moved.

spierre3.bsky.social1

There HAS to be another trade coming where they send out scoot or something

sam-mayday-malone.bsky.social1

Scoot , Jrue, and Sharpe must all be having their agents pleading to be let out of town to boston Jailblazers are gonna be dysfunctional for the foreseeable future We all know why Adam "Silver" loves the owner, but gotta feel bad for Portland fans

Grouchy Math Teacher1

So, Dame's going nowhere, Sharpe's owed $90M and isn't a playoff rotation player, and Morant is owed $86M more. So, it's likely to be Scoot and Jrue headed out the door, right? (They're the only one anyone wants)

Quoting this

geestack.bsky.social7

ultimate small ball lineup with no shooting

Nemo.3

I'm guessing Scoot and/or Shaedon -- and probably Deni -- to try and make one more very big swing.

The Athletic

@theathletic.com

The Portland Trail Blazers are trading for Memphis Grizzlies All-Star guard Ja Morant, a source tells @jwquick.bsky.social. Memphis will receive Jerami Grant and Kris Murray in the deal.

7545d ago

JeffOnVacation4

Looks increasingly like Tiago Splitter dodged a bullet by not being hired full time by the NBA version of the Cleveland Browns.

Bule Betawi2

This seems like a bad deal. He’s a fantastic talent, but he can’t keep out of trouble…. Are we going back to the JailBlazer days? 🫣

scottmac64.bsky.social2

He’s not gonna like living in Portland

Otto Schlosser1

Sorry, all my Blazer-loving friends.

Jukesgrrl1

Does Portland know how many times Morant breaks rules and is ejected? In any case, I'm sure the city's tattoo artists are lining up to serve him.

krismknight.bsky.social1

They just love a bad boy in Portland 😈

Quoting this

Sam Svilar14

We interrupt this World Cup posting fest to bring you a breaking: WHAT

Sean Highkin

@highkin.bsky.social

The Ja Morant trade is official. Didn't have to wait until July 6. Done deal.

6145d ago

Leo S

@yoleo.bsky.social

Ja Morant: $42M (25% cap) Jrue Holiday: $35M (21%) Scoot Henderson: $13.5M (8%) Damian Lillard: $13M (8%) That's 62% of the Blazers salary cap to 4 players that all play the same position. What did Micah Nori do to deserve this??? 😞

5345d ago

therealnbw.bsky.social3

Rip City was almost fun to watch last year. I am sure glad Micah’s getting paid well for overseeing this shit show.

Jaden McDaniels State Penitentiary3

Some of them on the way to Boston?

Bryan Toporek3

Gonna go out on a limb and say another move is coming…

Mnem2

Scoot has to be in the move. They can't want to pay him his extension with this trade.

Nate1

I look forward to Micah returning in 27-28. Ugh for him for sure.

Faded Chemist Guy1

Maybe they’ll be moving Jrue?

Velodus✨

@velodus.bsky.social

Trae Young and Ja Morant were traded - combined - for CJ McCollum, Jerami Grant, Kris Murray and Corey Kispert and zero picks.

4945d ago

Higher Ed (@EdRevelator34)1

and I still think I'd rather have that than Young or Morant

Dart Adams

@dartadams.bsky.social

Ja Morant got traded for a PS5 bundle & 3 cases of Celsius?

5345d ago

NBA Daily News

@insidenbanews.bsky.social

BREAKING NEWS Trade summary, per Shams Charania: Blazers get - Ja Morant Grizzlies get - Jerami Grant, Kris Murray

3245d ago

Dee Phunk

@deephunk.bsky.social

Leave it to Ja Morant to be traded to be Blazers to be the thing that teaches me that Portland has the highest number of strip clubs per capita in the U.S. (about one for every 10-11K residents). They edge out Las Vegas and Miami. I would have 100% lost all my money in Final Jeopardy on that one.

2745d ago

League Pass Delay1

I would have put my money on Tampa.

Quoting this

Troynelious Q.9

Portland was the first in the country to open up “drive thru” strip clubs when COVID first hit

John

@johnbull.wtf

Fan bases meeting now that they survived the Miles Bridges and Ja Morant rumors

4045d ago

LA4

. . . 💔

Alla2

Condolences to the Suns and Blazers fan bases though

Yuser Gname1

Trade implications and rumors aside, that's one adorable fucking gif

reuben

@liesandperfidy.bsky.social

Ja Morant in Portland has the potential to be unimaginably funny. I hope he leans into it. Gets really into savory cupcakes and trail cycling. Still hanging out at strip clubs til 4 AM but it’s to attend a trauma-centered kink workshop

3445d ago