Grizzlies trade Ja Morant to Trail Blazers, ending tumultuous tenure in Memphis: report

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Ja Morant's roller-coaster tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies has reportedly come to an end. 

The Grizzlies, who took Morant second overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, have traded the two-time All-Star point guard to the Portland Trail Blazers, according to ESPN. 

Portland is sending Jerami Grant and Kris Murray in exchange for Morant. 

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Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 21, 2026 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee.  (Joe Murphy/NBAE)

Morant has two years remaining on his five-year, $197.23 million rookie max extension he’s currently playing under. 

Now, he joins a Trail Blazers team that already has veteran guard Damian Lillard in place, as the sixth overall pick by Portland returned home last year. However, Lillard never played in a game as he was recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered in the Milwaukee Bucks’ playoffs series against the Indiana Pacers. 

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After trading Desmond Bane almost one year ago to the date, the Grizzlies now move on from Morant, a player that had a red-hot start to his NBA career as the Rookie of the Year during the 2019-20 campaign, while also winning Most Improved Player in 2021-22. His explosive scoring and clutch shooting abilities were on display, as Memphis saw a player it could build around for years to come. 

But Morant’s off-the-court troubles made national headlines, beginning in Sept. 2022 when