Ja Morant is headed to Portland, and that takes one of the most obvious Suns possibilities off the table.
The Memphis Grizzlies are sending the former All-Star guard to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. For Phoenix, that ends any talk about a possible swing at Morant as a change-of-scenery bet.
The price tag wasn’t exactly hefty, either. ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill reported that teams wanted draft compensation from Memphis in any deal involving Morant and his contract, which made Portland’s willingness to take the plunge without extra incentives stand out even more.
Morant now gets the fresh start plenty of teams had been circling, just not the Suns.
That matters because Phoenix had at least been part of the conversation around the embattled Murray State product. The Suns showed with the Miles Bridges deal that off-court concerns weren’t automatically a dealbreaker. But this time, they didn’t go for a reunion between Morant and former teammate Dillon Brooks.
Instead, Morant lands with another Western Conference team trying to chase upside. Portland is betting on the idea that he can rediscover the player who once made him a two-time All-Star, Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player winner in Memphis.
That version of Morant has been hard to find lately. Over the past three seasons, he played only 79 games total because of injuries and off-court issues. And when he did finish the 2025-26 season, the numbers were rough by his standards: career lows of 41% from the field and 23.5% from 3-point range.
Still, the talent has always been obvious when he’s healthy and locked in. Morant can slice into the paint, finish through traffic and bend a defense in ways few guards can. Portland is clearly banking on that version returning.
The fit is a little awkward on paper. Morant will be sharing space with Damian Lillard, who should be fully recovered from an Achilles injury, and breakout star Deni Avdija, who torched Phoenix during the Play-In Tournament. All three want the ball, which makes for an interesting puzzle.
For the Suns, the bigger issue is simpler: another point guard option is gone. Phoenix remains in need of a floor general to slot in alongside Devin Booker, Brooks and the newly acquired Bridges.
The team could still keep reshaping things by putting Jalen Green on the trade block as the Kevin Durant deal branches out further, but the pool of realistic additions is shrinking fast.
For now, Portland has made the move, Morant has his new start, and Phoenix is still looking for answers.
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Suns Search For Another Guard Just Took On More Urgency
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Arizona Sports John Gambadoro reported that Phoenix is expected to use its taxpayer mid-level exception to chase a fourth guard in free agency, giving the team a workable path to do it without overextending. The list of possible fits spans different skill sets, from shooting and secondary scoring to defense and familiarity with the roster, which is why this remains one of the more interesting items on the Suns summer board. [Read more 🡒]