The Portland Trail Blazers acquired Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies in one of the more surprising trades of the summer, and it is the kind of move that either wakes up a franchise or blows it up entirely. There is very little middle ground with this player.
Morant, when healthy and locked in, is a top-15 talent in the league. He is a two-time All-Star, a former Rookie of the Year, and one of the most electric guards to play in the last decade. He is also 26 years old, coming off multiple injury-shortened seasons and two league suspensions related to off-court incidents.
Portland is betting that a change of scenery unlocks him. Memphis had been trying to figure out how to move on for a while.
The Blazers’ timeline makes this interesting. Chauncey Billups’ team already had Scoot Henderson at point guard, so Morant’s arrival means either a positional shift for one of them or a two-point-guard lineup that will drive defensive coordinators crazy. Both are 6-foot-3, both need the ball to be at their best, and both are still figuring out how to play winning basketball.
Somebody is going to have to sacrifice touches. If Morant is going to save his career here, it probably has to be Henderson who yields the primary handle.
Portland does have shooting around them now, which will help. Anfernee Simons is one of the better catch-and-shoot guards in the league, Jerami Grant can score against anyone from mid-range, and the addition of a veteran center over the summer gives them a real pick-and-roll partner for Morant to work with.
The defense is the concern. Morant has never been a strong defender and he plays alongside a lot of guys who are similarly average on that end. Toumani Camara is the exception, and he will likely be asked to guard the toughest wing every night while the guard rotations try not to bleed points.
What I like about this move for Portland is the swing-for-the-fences energy. This is a franchise that has been treading water since the Damian Lillard trade. Adding a superstar-level talent gives them a real ceiling again, even if the odds of pulling off a playoff run this year are still slim.
Morant needs this to work as much as anyone. Another injury-plagued or discipline-marred season and his max-contract earning window closes for good. He is on a rookie extension that pays him serious money, but nobody offers a supermax to a player with his recent track record. This year is a giant audition.
For Memphis, this is a pure reset. They get draft capital, a young player or two, and the ability to build around Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane without the Morant question hanging over every decision. That is worth something even if the return does not look flashy.
Watch the first month of the season closely. If Morant is playing 32 healthy minutes a night and averaging 22 and 8, Portland has a story. If he is missing games or clashing with the coaching staff, this trade turns into a cautionary tale fast.
Either way, the Blazers just became appointment viewing.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
