At Media Day, Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin made it clear that the trade for Ja Morant was a buy-low bet on his talent more than anything. All things considered, a worthwhile bet, as Portland didn't have to sacrifice draft capital in hopes Morant can return to his All-Star form. But what does that best-case scenario even look like in Portland?
Even if he returns to form and the Blazers win the trade, Morant unfortunately still doesn't quite fit this roster. It's that exact predicament that's caused teams around the league to monitor the backcourt situation in Portland, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.
On a recent Bleacher Report livestream, Fischer discussed the possibility of the Blazers flipping Morant should they successfully restore his trade value.
"There is a play where Portland just kind of rehabs Ja Morant's trade value and new situation, tries to offload him," Fischer said. "I'm not saying that's definitely what the plan is, but you could see that happening based on all the bodies in this backcourt and the kind of weird, clunky fit of all these pieces. Again, the fact that Deni Avdija has shown his best play comes with the ball in his hands as well. So it's an interesting, clunky fit of pieces I think everyone around the league is going to be very, very curious to see how it all comes together."
Ja Morant trade would make sense if Blazers can flip him
Although it's admittedly a puzzling fit in Portland's suddenly crowded backcourt, it's also far too early to grade the Morant trade for Cronin and the Blazers.
Fortunately, Cronin has a history of bold trades working out in Portland's favor, including trades for Deni Avdija and Jrue Holiday, both of which were initially criticized.
There was even talk of Portland potentially looking to flip Holiday for a second time after successfully boosting his trade value with a resurgent first season with the Blazers. His versatility and championship experience make Holiday a seamless fit regardless of what the rest of the backcourt looks like, though the same can't be said for Morant.
In their first preseason game against a depleted Golden State Warriors team, Morant at least showed that he's willing to buy into a diminished role. The playmaking ability was apparent as soon as he touched the ball, and he was even surprisingly a better defender compared to the narrative surrounding him.
It's important for Morant to continue to shed these narratives in Portland, as it will help boost his trade value. It's easy to see a scenario in which his reputation around the league is viewed more favorably at February's deadline compared to the offseason, especially if Morant can settle down in the Pacific Northwest and benefit from a change of scenery like the Blazers organization is hoping.
But even if that's the case, Morant's lack of floor spacing, positional size, and ball-dominant nature of his game unfortunately still means he's a poor fit for this roster.
Even Portland's head coach Micah Nori is reportedly already questioning the fit of a Morant-Damian Lillard starting backcourt. Hopefully, Morant is able to thrive in his new situation despite the obvious concerns regarding fit.It would be a perfect opportunity for them to flip him leading up to February's deadline, landing future assets and shedding their most expensive player in the process.
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