The Portland Trail Blazers have shipped Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for star guard Ja Morant. Now, the Blazers plan on having a starting backcourt of Morant and Damian Lillard.
You know, two undersized, offensive-minded guards.
Did we learn nothing from the Lillard and CJ McCollum era?
Portland had a roster and established identity that was built for postseason basketball. They had size, physicality, and most importantly, defense. Now, they're trending away from that direction by trading for one of the most polarizing guards in the entire league.
A Damian Lillard-Ja Morant backcourt doesn't work
Between Dame and Ja, Portland should be fun to watch, with highlight-reel plays on a nightly basis. They should even have regular-season success, improving on their 42-win season. But they should've learned from Lillard's first stint that regular season success and postseason success are two entirely different things when it comes to roster construction.
Hopefully, this Morant trade is a stepping stone for Portland to land more of a two-way star like Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown. However, ESPN's Shams Charania notes that Portland isn't currently involved in Brown discussions, with the Morant deal being their big splash.
Fans entered this offseason with expectations of a blockbuster, and it was seemingly close to materializing as the Blazers were involved in just about every star trade target: LaMelo Ball, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, and Anthony Davis.
Morant was a likely trade candidate due to how his situation in Memphis played out and the rebuilding direction the Grizzlies were headed. But he was never connected to Portland, which we thought was obvious due to his questionable fit on this roster.
At least the Blazers didn't give up much in what they view to be an upside swing to see if Morant can return to his peak form.
A Jerami Grant trade was long-overdue, as he didn't fit this roster from the moment he inked a massive five-year, $160 million deal in 2023. Portland was also wise to move on from the failed Kris Murray experiment, given his lack of progress as a sub-30 percent three-point shooter. But Grant's contract would've been good to use as a salary filler for a star who better fits this roster, with Murray as a throw-in for that package.
If Portland enters the 2026-27 season returning largely the same roster but with Lillard and Morant now in the backcourt, it should be considered a failed summer. Morant may be a household name, but he's struggled to stay healthy, hurting his on-court impact as well given how much he relies on his athleticism.
Hopefully, GM Joe Cronin isn't done cooking. Because right now, this Ja Morant appetizer isn't looking very appealing. It's a step in the wrong direction for a Blazers team that finally seemed to have had a formula figured out.
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