The NBA rumor mill teased at it for months, if not years. On Monday, the Ja Morant trade finally happened.
The Memphis Grizzlies have reportedly agreed to trade Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for forward Jerami Grant and guard Kris Murray.
It sets off what could be the start of a full-blown rebuild from the Grizzlies. Meanwhile, the Blazers are buying low on a 26-year-old two-time All-Star who’s played just 79 games across the past three seasons. While Morant was rumored to be on the move for quite some time, seeing him end up on a Portland team that has a plethora of point guards, both young and old, comes as a bit of a surprise. Here’s how the NBA world is reacting so far.
Blazers-Grizzlies Ja Morant Trade Stuns NBA World
Everyone, from former NBA players to analysts to fans was shocked by the blockbuster trade that was first reported by ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania. That includes 13-year NBA veteran Quentin Richardson, who simply said, “Wow.”
Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor added: “Portland is about as random as it gets as a destination for Ja Morant lol”
But just because the Blazers are finally making a big swing doesn’t mean all the locals will like it. The Oregonian’s columnist Bill Oram didn’t mince words while criticizing the deal.
“I hate it,” Oram said. “I hate everything about it.”
The fit does seem a bit clunky. At first glance, the Blazers’ backcourt looks very crowded.
Prime Video’s NBA insider Chris Haynes reports that Portland plans to start Morant alongside Damian Lillard.
“The Portland Trail Blazers envision a starting backcourt of Damian Lillard and Ja Morant alongside Deni Avdija on the wing,” Haynes wrote. “A very unconventional move that the franchise believes has upside. Ja Morant gets his fresh start. Jerami Grant and Kris Murray off to Memphis.”
Where that leaves Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday remains to be seen.
“I LOVE THIS MOVE FOR Ja Morant!! Portland now has a backcourt rotation of Ja Morant, Dame Lillard, Jrue Holiday & Scoot Henderson (Jrue could be on the move),” NBA podcaster CuffsTheLegend added.
I LOVE THIS MOVE FOR Ja Morant!!
Portland now has a backcourt rotation of Ja Morant, Dame Lillard, Jrue Holiday & Scoot Henderson (Jrue could be on the move) https://t.co/sokbHzeZwM
— 73-9 and THEY LIED (@CuffsTheLegend) June 29, 2026
Random destination aside, some, like Yahoo’s O’Connor, can’t help but wonder if this is the first domino that sets up a bigger blockbuster for Portland.
“Acquiring Ja Morant feels like a set-up trade to me given all the Jaylen Brown rumors in Portland,” O’Connor wrote. “Now the Blazers could feel more comfortable sending Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, and Shaedon Sharpe with draft picks to Boston for Jaylen Brown. We’ll see what happens.”
Acquiring Ja Morant feels like a set-up trade to me given all the Jaylen Brown rumors in Portland. Now the Blazers could feel more comfortable sending Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, and Shaedon Sharpe with draft picks to Boston for Jaylen Brown. We’ll see what happens. https://t.co/zNMIjIiuay
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnor) June 29, 2026
CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn was also quick to connect the dots and wonder if a Brown trade is coming next.
“Well I’m stunned,” Quinn admitted. “This doesn’t necessarily preclude Jaylen Brown. They could use Jrue Holiday as the primary matching salary, or maybe even expand this deal and send Ja to Boston (though the jersey swap doesn’t suggest that’s happening). Woah.”
………. Well I’m stunned.
This doesn’t necessarily preclude Jaylen Brown. They could use Jrue Holiday as the primary matching salary, or maybe even expand this deal and send Ja to Boston (though the jersey swap doesn’t suggest that’s happening).
Woah. https://t.co/ahEHFNRmwk
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) June 29, 2026
Of course, the internet was also quick to make jokes, with the Knicks Memes X account posting “JAIL BLAZERS ARE BACK.”
Others were surprised that this trade didn’t feature any draft picks, just a straight swap of players. PrizePicks’ account summed up this sentiment by writing, “NO PICKS??”
From a pure basketball standpoint? Some analysts are drooling over the untapped basketball potential Morant offers with the move to Portland.
“Loads of thoughts: 1) Instantly the best passer on the team so if he ever gets back to driving the basketball the way he used to… WOW. 2) How do he and Dame work together? 3) At this price (and getting off Grant’s money) it’s a good swing for Portland,” wrote NBA writer Esfandiar Baraheni.
Maybe it will all work out in the end, with Morant getting back to being an elite point guard and forming a scary one-two punch with Lillard. Only time will tell. For Portland, it’s certainly an interesting buy-low that didn’t cost them much.
