Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin has won the majority of his trades up until this point. Early on, that appears to be the case with the surprising blockbuster trade for Ja Morant as well. However, one bad trade return for Portland was when Cronin shipped Josh Hart to the New York Knicks.
We know how that trade ultimately aged for the Knicks considering they enter the season as defending champions with Hart a crucial -- and perhaps somehow still underrated -- part of that success.
Meanwhile, the Blazers, with all due respect, received a whole lot of nothing. Here was their return: Cam Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacono, Svi Mykhailiuk and a protected 2023 first-round pick. That draft selection turned into No. 23 overall pick Kris Murray out of Iowa. He's already not on the roster.
At least the Blazers packaged Kris Murray for Ja Morant
The defensive versatility unfortunately was outweighed by the significant shooting limitations that never seemed to improve. Hopefully he's able to benefit from a change of scenery in Memphis, where he seems like such a perfect fit for the culture and identity they've established dating back to the Grit and Grind era. But from the Blazers ' perspective, it was in their best interest to move on as an addition-by-subtraction move to address their shooting woes.
They also managed to make another addition by subtraction in the same package, finally (!) offloading Jerami Grant's massive salary. Grant was viewed as one of the biggest negative assets in the league. Apparently, Morant was too if this was the best trade package the Grizzlies could get in return.
Early signs are incredibly promising that this trade will work in Portland's favor, as Morant is already returning value. Through two games, he's averaging 13 points, 7.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals on efficient 52/38/50 shooting splits in just 24.5 minutes per game.
Small sample size, sure, but you can already get the sense that he's playing winning basketball that's here to stay. Morant looks rejuvenated in Portland, which is a scary sight for the rest of the league, as it should make the Blazers even better than last year's seventh-seed finish.
Unfortunately, they're still not on the contender level of teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs. Or, you know, the Knicks last season with Hart.
Time will tell whether Morant and this revamped backcourt can lead the Blazers past last year’s first-round playoff exit. But one thing is clear: the talent lost from the Hart trade has finally been made up for with this Morant deal.
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