Grizzlies reportedly trade Ja Morant to Trail Blazers in blockbuster deal

Grizzlies land Grant, Murray as rebuild rolls on

>Ja Morant is headed to the Portland Trail Blazers in a trade that would end his volatile ⁠run with the Memphis Grizzlies, according to multiple reports Monday.

>Pending NBA approval and physicals, the teams agreed to a ⁠swap that sends Morant ⁠to Portland ​for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.

>The Blazers were rumored to be a possible landing spot for Celtics All-Star Jaylen ⁠Brown, and Monday’s acquisition of Morant creates a logjam of guards on the roster. Speculation in Portland remains focused on ⁠the Blazers finding a match with Boston to bring Brown on board in ​a possible pairing with Morant, a two-time ‌All-Star in Memphis.

>Morant is ‌signed for two more seasons with salaries of $42.167m (2026-27) and $44.887m (2027-28) before ‌he’s eligible to become a free agent in 2028.

>Morant, 26, played only 20 games last season and a total of 79 the past three years.

>In 327 career games, Morant averaged 22.4 points, 7.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds and one steal per game.

>He was drafted No 2 overall in 2019, has ‌missed more than 100 games in his career because of injuries and was suspended 25 games in 2023 for a gun- related ​incident.

>The Grizzlies finished 25-57 last season and have parted with most of the prime cast from their 51-win season in 2022-23, the second of their back-to-back Southwest Division titles.

>Memphis traded three-point specialist Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic ⁠before last year’s draft and shipped two-time All-Star Jaren Jackson ​Jr to the Jazz ​at the trade deadline in ​February.

>Grant, 32, has played for five teams since entering the ​NBA with the ‌76ers in 2014. He ​averaged 18.6 ​and 3.5 rebounds per game in 57 games for the Blazers last season.

>Murray, 25, just completed his third season in Portland. He was the No 23 overall pick in the 2023 draft and has averaged 5.3 points in 188 career games.