Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Departs with hamstring issue
Rotowire
Morant won't return to Thursday's game against the Grizzlies due to a left hamstring injury. He'll end with 14 points (6-14 FG, 2-5 3Pt), two rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes.
The game was already out of reach when Morant was ruled out for the remainder of the fourth quarter. The severity of his injury is unclear at this time. The 27-year-old can be considered questionable for Saturday's matchup in Utah until further notice.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Solid down the stretch
Rotowire
Morant accumulated 23 points (9-13 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT) and four assists over 31 minutes during Tuesday's 136-129 win over the Lakers.
Morant was extremely efficient in the win, hitting nine of his 13 shots and scoring on back-to-back midrange jumpers to put Portland up five in the final minutes. The guard has fit in quickly alongside Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija, giving the Blazers another closer in a balanced attack. Thursday's matchup with Memphis carries extra intrigue as he faces his former team.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Collects seven assists in victory
Rotowire
Morant closed with 12 points (5-13 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), three rebounds, seven assists and one steal over 27 minutes during Friday's 128-120 win over the Kings.
Morant took a back seat as a scorer and finished second on the team in assists behind Jrue Holiday. Portland acquired Morant from Memphis in an offseason trade that sent Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to the Grizzlies. He's still finding his place alongside Deni Avdija and Damian Lillard, and it may take a couple of weeks for his role to crystallize.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Strong showing in Blazers debut
Rotowire
Morant ended with 14 points (6-8 FG, 2-3 3Pt), five rebounds, eight assists and three steals over 23 minutes during Wednesday's 124-83 victory over Phoenix.
While backcourt-mate Damian Lillard led all scorers with 25 points, Morant led Portland in assists and had an efficient shooting night as well. Simply staying on the court will be Morant's top priority after he suited up for only 79 regular-season games over his final three seasons in Memphis, but he's healthy to begin 2026-27 and is getting a clean slate with the Blazers.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Efficient in preseason finale
Rotowire
Morant logged 19 points (8-10 FG, 3-3 3PT, 0-1 FT), three rebounds, three assists and one steal over 27 minutes during Friday's 128-118 preseason loss to the Warriors.
Morant was back in the starting lineup for Friday's preseason finale after coming off the bench against the Kings on Tuesday. He looked good starting next to Damian Lillard, with the duo combining for 42 points. It'll be interesting to see how the Trail Blazers manage their four-guard rotation of Lillard, Morant, Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday (rest) over the course of the 2026-27 season.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Starting versus Warriors
Rotowire
Morant will start in Friday's preseason game against the Warriors, Anthony Slater of ESPN.com reports.
Morant came off the bench in Wednesday's 110-98 preseason win over Sacramento. However, Morant will start in the preseason finale, with Scoot Henderson heading back to the bench.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Stands out with second unit
Rotowire
Morant posted 14 points (4-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 6-9 FT), two rebounds, six assists and one steal during Tuesday's 110-98 preseason win over the Kings.
Coming off the bench for the first time this preseason, Morant had his best showing yet, leading Portland in assists without committing a turnover. Coach Micah Nori is still experimenting with his four-guard rotation, and it's still anyone's guess how the small-ball approach will shake out when the season begins.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Sliding to second unit Tuesday
Rotowire
Morant won't start Tuesday's preseason game against Portland, Frankie Cartoscelli of KHTK Sactown Sports 1140 reports.
Morant will come off the bench for the first time this preseason. The Trail Blazers will start Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Hands out five dimes
Rotowire
Morant finished with five points (2-6 FG, 1-2 3Pt), five assists and three steals across 14 minutes in Monday's 119-66 preseason victory over the London Lions.
Although Morant struggled to find his scoring touch, he led Portland in assists and steals while committing just one turnover. The veteran guard showed encouraging playmaking in limited minutes as he continues to adjust to his new surroundings. Morant is expected to play a prominent role in Portland's backcourt, though his preseason workload has remained relatively light.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Starting Wednesday
Rotowire
Morant will start in Wednesday's preseason opener against the Warriors, Jason Quick of The Athletic reports.
Morant will start in his Portland debut, and it'll be Damian Lillard, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan joining him in the first unit for Wednesday's exhibition. It'll be interesting to see how Morant works alongside Lillard in the backcourt.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Could start year off bench
Rotowire
Morant could come off the bench for Portland to begin the season, per Casey Holdahl of the Trail Blazers' official site.
With Portland's backcourt fit already a talking point after Morant's arrival, a reserve role would be a notable shift for a player who has made just two appearances off the bench in his seven-year career. The Trail Blazers acquired the star guard with an eye toward him meshing with the returning Damian Lillard in the backcourt, but it sounds like the team is mulling over the idea of easing Morant into the mix. Jrue Holiday appears to be the most likely candidate to open the year as a starter if Portland ultimately decides to deploy Morant from the second unit.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Portland believes in him
Rotowire
The Trail Blazers remain confident that Morant can perform at a high level despite questions surrounding how he'll fit into Portland's crowded backcourt, general manager Joe Cronin told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN on Monday.
"Just straight belief in Ja. Our view of Ja as still a very high-level player," Cronin said, adding that Portland was "very focused on talent" when acquiring the two-time All-Star. Morant averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists across 20 regular-season appearances for Memphis in 2025-26, and he's expected to take on a prominent role in Portland's backcourt this season. There's also been no mention of his elbow sprain from the end of last campaign, suggesting he's 100 percent for camp.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Joining crowded backcourt
Rotowire
Morant (elbow) is set to share the playmaking duties with Damian Lillard (Achilles) in Portland's starting backcourt after being traded from Memphis.
Chris Haynes of NBA TV reported when the trade went down that the Trail Blazers had a Morant and Lillard backcourt pairing in mind, so it'll be interesting to see how the ball-handling responsibilities are divvied up in 2026-27 should they stick to that plan. Morant endured yet another injury-plagued campaign with the Grizzlies in 2025-26, making just 20 regular-season appearances while shooting a career-low 41.0 percent from the floor and 23.5 percent from deep, and he's reached the 60-game mark just one time over the past five seasons. With plenty of questions surrounding his fit in his new digs, the dynamic 27-year-old point guard is shaping up as a difficult fantasy player to rank as a high-risk, high-reward gamble in the second half of drafts.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Traded to Portland
Rotowire
The Grizzlies traded Morant (elbow) to Portland in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray on Monday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
The Trail Blazers are buying low after the Grizzlies shopped Morant around the NBA for months. The point guard was certainly in need of a fresh start, but it's an interesting landing spot to say the least. The Trail Blazers have Damian Lillard (Achilles), Jrue Holiday, Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson in the backcourt already. Unless more moves are coming, it's a tricky spot to project Morant landing a major role right away.
... See More... See Less
Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Shut down for season
Rotowire
The Grizzlies announced Tuesday that Morant is progressing in his recovery from a UCL sprain in his left elbow and recently received a platelet-rich plasma injection, but he'll remain out for the rest of the 2025-26 season.
Morant is expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. The star point guard will finish the season with averages of 19.5 points, 8.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 28.5 minutes per game across just 20 appearances. The Murray State product has continued to be plagued by injuries and has appeared in just 79 games over the past three seasons. With Morant sidelined for the rest of the season, Ty Jerome (ankle), Walter Clayton, Cam Spencer and Javon Small (back) will likely continue seeing increased burn out of the backcourt.
... See More... See Less
Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Not playing Monday
Rotowire
Morant (elbow) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Hawks.
Morant has been sidelined by a UCL sprain in his left elbow since late January. His next chance to play is Wednesday against the Spurs, but he can be considered week-to-week until the Grizzlies provide a medical update for the star point guard.
... See More... See Less
Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Absence continuing Saturday
Rotowire
Morant (elbow) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Hornets.
Morant continues to be sidelined by a UCL sprain in his left elbow. His next chance to play is Monday against the Hawks, though Morant should be considered doubtful until the Grizzlies provide an updated report on the star point guard's injury.
... See More... See Less
Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Still sidelined
Rotowire
Morant (elbow) is out for Friday's game against the Celtics.
The star guard is still recovering from a UCL sprain in his left elbow. The Grizzlies are expected to re-evaluate Morant soon, but he can be deemed doubtful for future contests until that happens.
... See More... See Less
Grizzlies' Ja Morant: To be re-evaluated in two weeks
Rotowire
The Grizzlies announced Thursday that Morant is still experiencing discomfort in his left elbow and will be reevaluated by medical staff in two weeks.
Morant underwent imaging on his left elbow Wednesday, which revealed "incomplete healing" of the sprained UCL that he sustained in mid-January. The new timeline means that Morant will be out of action until at least mid-March, so Ty Jerome (calf) and Scotty Pippen (toe) should both continue to operate in elevated roles for as long as Morant is sidelined.
... See More... See Less
Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Out at least two more weeks
Rotowire
Morant is continuing to experience discomfort during his recovery from a UCL sprain in his left elbow, and he'll be reevaluated in two weeks, the Grizzlies announced.
Morant has been sidelined since Jan. 21 due to a UCL sprain, and his recovery hasn't gone according to plan. Despite being almost a full month into the rehab process, Morant's elbow continues to be a source of pain. While Morant is absent, look for Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen to handle most of the point guard minutes. If Morant is cleared after 14 days, he could be back for a March 7 game against the Clippers.
