Unless you're Patrick Star living under a rock, by now you know that the Portland Trail Blazers have made a splash to acquire Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant.
Does Patrick still have wifi down there?
Anyways, the point I was trying to make is that Morant is a worthwhile, high-upside flyer on talent entering what is a horrible roster fit in Portland. It's quite the predicament, which is why, despite the Morant trade rumors, he was never previously connected to the Blazers.
Blazers' Ja Morant trade is a good deal and a bad fit
Portland now has four point guards on their roster in Morant, Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, and Jrue Holiday. They've already let restricted free agent Caleb Love go to the Philadelphia 76ers, and it wouldn't be surprising if free agent Blake Wesley is out of the picture as well.
It's the definition of a backcourt logjam, but it's by design for a Blazers front office that continues to play the long game. In fact, they don't even intend to trade Jrue Holiday this summer, intentionally entering the 2026-27 season with this crowded backcourt.
Morant was wrongfully ridiculed for his off-court antics when coming over to Portland. The Oregonian's Bill Oram even referenced the Jail Blazers in a piece, overlooking the fact that Morant has never even been convicted of a crime.
Personally, the concerns surrounding the Morant trade have nothing to do with his off-court antics, personality, or demeanor, and everything to do with his fit on this roster.
Grading Portland's surprising Ja Morant deal
The Blazers attempted the third-most three-pointers in the association this past season despite being the third-worst three-point shooting team, percentage-wise. GM Joe Cronin even made it a point to address that problem this summer, highlighting how much of an issue it was in their first-round playoff loss to the San Antonio Spurs, when they played several possessions in the mud.
In theory, the idea of adding a two-time All-Star entering his prime at 26 years old for a negative asset in Jerami Grant and a non-factor in Kris Murray should be considered a major win for Portland's front office. However, there's a reason this was the best offer Memphis could get after all this time, as they essentially swapped one negative asset for another -- both with two years remaining on their respective overpaid contracts, at that.
This is the first trade in the Tom Dundon era, highlighting his approach as an owner who likes to buy low on distressed assets that can return value elsewhere, whether it's due to injury, league perception, or something else entirely. In Morant's case, it was all of the above.
That's good value in a vacuum for a Blazers team that has searched for this level of star power throughout their entire rebuild. Still, it's fair to question what level of star Morant truly is at this point.
He has played 79 games over the last three seasons, failing to play an entire season's worth of games. Most concerningly, his athleticism has potentially declined due to injuries, which is problematic for a guard who relies so heavily on it to get downhill.
Again, this was all baked into the trade price for Portland, making it a calculated risk from their standpoint. Then again, the poor roster fit, given the Blazers' floor-spacing concerns and a guard logjam that could hinder the development of up-and-coming guards such as Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, leaves many wondering whether the pros truly outweigh the cons in this situation.
Ultimately, we think so, as it allows Portland to add talent and figure out the rest later as they continue to stockpile assets. Still, Morant's declining play and poor fit on this roster don't make it quite the steal some would expect with such a star name.
Grade: B-
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