Ja Morant is headed to Portland.
The Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to trade Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The deal was reported on Monday, one day before NBA free agency opens Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT, though it cannot be officially finalized until the league's moratorium lifts July 6.
The trade brings an end to months of speculation regarding Morant’s future in Memphis.
Even after two separate suspensions for flashing a gun on social media, the Grizzlies seemed committed to Morant, whom they drafted second overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. Over time, the relationship started to sour and took a considerable turn when the two-time NBA All-Star was suspended for one game due to conduct detrimental to the team in Nov. 2025, as reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The suspension stemmed from a postgame confrontation between Morant and then first-year head coach Tuomas Iisalo.
In addition to his off-the-court issues, Morant has struggled to stay healthy throughout his seven-year NBA career, playing just 79 games over the last three seasons.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Michael C. Wright, the Grizzlies determined days before the Feb. 6 trade deadline that the franchise was headed towards a rebuild. The decision was aided by Morant suffering what was later ruled a season-ending UCL sprain in his elbow.
With the Grizzlies in rebuilding mode, the team traded two-time All-Star and 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson to the Utah Jazz as part of an eight-player deal.
Morant seemed to be on his way out next, but finding a trade partner had seemingly proven to be difficult.
While Memphis received three first-round picks for Jackson, former NBA player and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins claimed teams were asking the Grizzlies to attach a draft pick for Morant because of the money left on his contract.
Morant is owed about $87 million over the next two seasons, according to Spotrac.
The Grizzlies’ return for Morant ultimately did not yield a single first-round pick.
