Yesterday, I woke up at 2 AM to watch Japan take on Brazil in the World Cup Knockout Round. Japan survived an early Brazil push and took a 1-0 lead into halftime – a stunning result. Brazil looked sloppy and lackadaisical, and Japan was playing defense with all their diminutive might. But the wheels came off in the second half as Brazil’s constant pressure produced an equalizer. By the end of the game, Japan was hanging on for dear life. And then, in the 95th minute, a boneheaded turnover by Japan inside their own box (I think that’s the proper terminology, although I have a tendency to use hockey terminology to describe soccer, so feel free to call me a tosser or a Yank or a wanker in the comments if you know football) led to the game-winning goal for Brazil. What a kick in the teeth, especially considering, again, I woke up at 2 AM on a school night to watch it.
I checked my phone. It was just before 4:30 AM. I scrolled through my Twitter notifications for Shams Charania, ESPN Senior NBA Insider, who for whatever reason has a monopoly on breaking NBA news. Back in the day I was an Adrian Wojnarowski guy, but Woj decided to get out of the game a few years back. Anyways, having Shams notifications is great because you get to learn important news, like the Kings salary dumping their first round draft selection from two years ago, as soon as it happens.
Satisfied that nothing too important was happening, I turned my phone off and attempted to grab another 90 minutes of desperately-needed shut-eye before I would have to get up for school.
When I opened my eyes again shortly after six, made coffee, and checked my phone, sure enough I had another Shams notification waiting for me (if you needed confirmation that Woj was better than Shams, know that we used to call his seismic scoops “Woj Bombs,” and in the nearly two years that Shams has been the only game in town, no such cool nickname has emerged). But this one made no sense to my groggy brain.
Ja Morant, the once-high-flying superstar point guard whose Icarian wings were melted by injuries and various off-court troubles, had been acquired by my Portland Trail Blazers.1 His lack of on-court availability (79 games played in the past three seasons combined out of a possible 246) combined with his rather large contract (a 5 year, nearly $200 million deal of which he has this upcoming season at $42 million and the following season at $45 million remaining) had rendered the former Rookie of the Year (2019-20), Most Improved Player (2021-22), two-time All-Star (2021-23) and one-time All-NBA Second team (2021-22) one of the worst contracts in the league.
The Ja Morant Story
His team of seven seasons, the Memphis Grizzlies, had once been one of the league’s hot young teams. With their young core of Morant, Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, and Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies went 56-26 in 2021-22, good for second in the Western Conference. They won their first round matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves before being bounced by the eventual champions, the Golden State Warriors. The vibes were so good that I, when presented with a veritable buffet of bootleg NBA jerseys in Medellin, Colombia, opted for the Vancouver-era throwback Morant over any other.
Morant signed that aforementioned contract extension. Then, the trouble began. In September, he was sued by a 17-year old for punching him during a pickup game. Morant allegedly flashed a gun at the teenager. Also, he and his entourage allegedly threatened the head of mall security in a separate incident. In late December, when the Grizzlies were atop the conference he infamously declared “I’m fine in the West” (spoiler alert: he was in fact, not fine in the West).
The Grizzlies would go on to win 51 games that season, second in the West again, but were bounced by the Lakers in the first round. You might recall Dillon Brooks’s infamous “I poke bears” comments about LeBron James. Or perhaps you’ve heard the “I’m pouring honey on you GOAT” meme that emerged from this exchange. After this series, we all swore that (Oregon Duck) Dillon Brooks’s career in the NBA was over. Shows how much we know (although his time in Memphis was done).
Things went from bad to worse, very fast. During February and March 2023, two separate incidents with Morant and firearms transpired. The first was during and after a game in Indiana, when Pacers players exchange words with Ja’s father Tee and some of Ja’s friends who often sat courtside.2 Following the game, some of Morant’s entourage aggressively confronted members of the Pacers (staff, players, and coaches alike), and later, a red laser – possibly attached to a gun – was pointed threatenly at them from an SUV that Morant was riding in.
About a month later, Morant appeared on Instagram Live in a Colorado nightclub flashing a gun.3 At the time, the NBA suspended Morant for eight games. After the season, he was suspended for an additional 25. He returned from suspension in December 2023, but injured himself and underwent season-ending shoulder surgery a few months later. He played just 9 games during the 2023-24 campaign, and the Grizzlies went a dismal 27-55.
2024-25 was going better for Morant and the Grizzlies, but with just 9 games remaining in the regular season and Memphis on the cusp of the playoffs, longtime coach Taylor Jenkins was unceremoniously fired. Morant had voiced his frustrations about Jenkins’s offensive gameplan. In April, Morant’s gun-related oncourt celebrations drew controversy given his history – he was fined, but not suspended (he’s mimed using guns, a grenade, and most recently, a bazooka). The Grizzlies were unceremoniously swept by the Thunder en route to their championship. Bane was traded to Orlando in the offseason, and Jackson was dealt to Utah at the trade deadline – each for three first-round picks. The rebuild had begun.
This past season, Ja suffered a season-ending UCL sprain in his left elbow, and only played 20 games. That pretty much brings us up to date on Ja Morant. During this school year, one of my first-years (equivalent of seventh graders) did her presentation about “her hero” on Japanese NBA player Yuki Kawamura (who is a fan favorite, but spent most of his time in the G-League, with just 302 total NBA minutes for Memphis and Chicago). She proclaimed “Yuki’s friend is Ja Morant. He is kind. He is cool.” I didn’t have the heart to inform her of Morant’s extensive baggage. Side note: I’ve encountered many kids who point to Kawamura as their favorite player, but nobody has ever said that Rui Hachimura, an actually good NBA player (no offense to Kawamura, but he’s only 5′ 7″), is their favorite.
It is worth noting that Morant, unlike some other NBA players, has never been convicted of anything. That 2022 lawsuit was dismissed, as the judge agreed with Morant that he was acting in self-defense. No charges were ever filed for the Indiana or Colorado incidents. The original title for this post was “Return of the Ja-il Blazers?” but after seeing that Bill Oram of The Oregonian used a similar refrain, I’m choosing not to because that guy is the worst.
The Trade
Memphis, thanks to savvy trades and drafting, was ready to turn the page on the Morant era. They just needed to get rid of Morant. Problem was, it seemed like no one wanted him. The reporting from the legendary Brian Windhorst was that he was “flagrantly available,” which is how I would have described my dating life until recently.
We love Windy here on zeveatsit.com
Ja was in a camp with Trae Young and LaMelo Ball of young(ish) point guards whose positive attributes and potential upside were so thoroughly outweighed by their contracts and drawbacks that all three were declared to have “negative value” in the early days of this past season. Ball’s contribution to the Hornets’ success salvaged his value, while Morant and Young have both been essentially dumped for nothing.
I also will forever link Ja with the guy who was selected before him – #1 overall in 2019 – Zion Williamson. Both players with immense potential who, seven seasons in, have yet to reach their lofty expectations because of injuries and off-court issues. Both were All-Rookie in 2019-20, and are two-time All-Stars last selected in 2022-23.
So who was Ja traded for? Portland and Memphis basically agreed to swap each other’s awful contracts. Ja came in at 8th overall in the 2026 edition of Bill Simmons’s annual Worst Contracts Draft, while Jerami Grant went 18th. Portland acquired Grant from Detroit after Grant bonded with Damian Lillard on the 2020 Olympic Team. But inexplicably, the Trail Blazers signed Grant to a 5 year, $160 million contract a week after Lillard requested to be traded. If we got Grant to play with Lillard, why did we resign him to a mammoth contract that quickly became among the league’s worst so he could play on a mediocre team without Lillard? Morant’s value was so low that Grant and Kris Murray – a lanky wing who could not crack even a pitiful 28% from three in any of his three seasons in Portland – got the job done.
On Saturday, I texted my dad,
Sounds like Ja is now a negative asset which means grizzlies have to attach picks to move on
I think that has gone too far, but he does have two years left on contract at 42 and 44 mil each
A look at his basketball reference page is revealing – his availability is concerning. But he’s still only 26!
If grizzlies were so desperate to get off his contract that they stretched and waived, I think he would have a lot more value as a free agent. Many teams would offer him a one year “bet on yourself” deal
My dad responded,
Thank god bullets already overpaying Trae otherwise I’d be deathly afraid we’d be bidding against ourselves to overpay Ja
I figured the suitors for Ja would be the same for LaMelo – playoff teams looking for a point guard (Toronto, Miami), or the Kings (just throw the Kings into any situation where they might have a chance to fuck up royally). The Blazers were involved in trade rumors – but for Boston’s Jaylen Brown (which I was proposing as far back as summer 2023). There was absolutely not a single breadcrumb about Portland and Ja. But when I reflected on the recent Blazers moves, they all seemed to come out of left field. Trading Anfernee Simons for Jrue Holiday last June was a total shock, as was dealing Lillard to Milwaukee rather than Miami.
And for good reason – the Trail Blazers already have a glut at guard. Damian Lillard will be making his return – he is 36 and coming off a torn Achilles, but his self-posted offseason workouts have been impressive, and he has been assured that he will start. Then there’s Jrue Holiday, who is also 36 but proved last season he still has plenty left in the tank (and on his contract). Shaedon Sharpe, the 8th overall pick in 2022, is still only 23 and put up 20 points per game on solid efficiency last season. Scoot Henderson was supposed to be Dame’s replacement, and although he has definitely not reached the lofty expectations set for him, he showed more improvement after returning from injury last season. Now, in comes Ja Morant. As it currently stands, Portland is allocating $130,054,305 of its $169,330,558 payroll – about 77% – on guards.
Backup center Robert Williams III, after some initial trepidation, has resigned with the Trail Blazers. I’m not sure what Yang Hansen is, but I would bet an awful lot that he is not ready to be part of an NBA rotation. Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara are wings, not bigs – plus Avdija spent much of last season as the de facto point guard. Say what you will about Grant, but we could occasionally play him as a small-ball five.
So while Morant to Portland is intriguing – an undeniably good value, moderate risk, high reward – this is an incomplete and grossly uneven roster. I don’t know how big on math you guys are, but I can tell you that last season, the percentage of time that Morant, Avdija, and Lillard (2024-25 for Lillard since he missed all of last season) spent with the ball in their hands when they were on the floor was 43.6 (95th percentile), 35.2 (99th percentile), and 41.3 (93rd percentile), respectively.4 I have a difficult time believing, despite what Shams says, that this will be the Opening Night roster. The Jaylen Brown rumors continue to abound (another guy who needs the ball – 28.8% (96th percentile) last season). Trey Murphy III is out there, floating in the ether. The Thunder continue to cast off good role players – I would cut off my pinky for Cason Wallace. Some free agents remain (Rui Hachimura, John Collins). The Trail Blazers need to trade at least one of Holiday, Henderson, or Sharpe for someone who can defend and shoot threes – since Morant does neither.
Blazer Obituaries: Jerami Grant and Kris Murray
Farewell, Jerami Grant. You will always have a special place in my heart. Your father, Harvey Grant, played for the Trail Blazers, so you were born in Portland. On top of that, you also have DMV roots, having attended basketball factory DeMatha High School. You are a Portland guy, through and through. How many NBA players carry around palo santo?
You’re a very fashionable guy – your tunnel fits lead the league. I also will remember you for your beautiful no-dip threes – something very difficult that you make look easy. You were fine coming off the bench as our young guys began to blossom – no big ego to be found.
You chose to visit the Oregon Coast during last year’s All-Star break rather than Miami or Cancun. You seem likely to join the ranks of Channing Frye and Clifford Robinson of retired players who chose to make their lives in Portland. I look forward to bumping into you at the Palisades Mud Bay in Lake Oswego.
Farewell, Kris Murray. I don’t have as many nice things to say about you. I’ll never forget that at the 2023 trade deadline, when we were supposed to be competing, we traded Josh Hart to New York for the expiring contract of Cam Reddish (a bust who played just 20 games for Portland and who is no longer an NBA player) and the late-first round pick that became you. In doing so, we helped the Knicks win the championship (just like we helped the Celtics win in 2024 by trading them Jrue Holiday). You’re a worse version of your twin brother Keegan, who made All-Rookie in 2022-23 by shooting 41% from three but shot just 28% this past season. A 3&D wing without any 3 or much D.
Everyone rightfully made fun of you for choosing Eminem’s “I’m Not Afraid” as your song that represented the moment of you getting drafted. Good luck in Memphis and say hi to Ryan Rupert.
Suffice to say with a new roster, new coach, and new owner, this 2026-27 Portland Trail Blazers team will be quite different from last year’s squad. First-time coach Micah Nori has his work cut out for him trying to mesh Lillard with Morant and Avdija, plus any other ballhandlers left on the roster. Morant instantly become the team’s best playmaker – even at the nadir of his career last season, he still averaged 8 assists. I expect Lillard, as the oldest of the bunch and the best shooter, to play off the ball more. Morant and Avdija should put immense pressure on the rim, which should create shooting space for Dame. The team is certainly more talented than it used to be.
- The least important question: will Morant wear #12, or will we hang it in the rafters for LaMarcus Aldridge (a top five Blazer ever along with Lillard, Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, and Bill Walton)? ↩︎
- Between Tee Morant and the confrontation in last year’s playoffs between Giannis and Tyrese Haliburton’s father, can NBA dads chill? ↩︎
- He’s an Oregunian now. ↩︎
- Don’t ask me how 35.2% is the 99th percentile but the greater percentages are a lower percentile… ask databallr.com ↩︎
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