Ja Morant’s first reaction to being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers is now making the rounds on social media, and it captures the shock of the moment.
A video from the day the deal broke shows Morant realizing he had finally been moved after spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Memphis Grizzlies. The No. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA draft had become the face of the franchise in Memphis, but with a rebuild underway, the Grizzlies no longer saw him as the right fit.
The trade itself wasn’t exactly out of nowhere, but the reality still landed hard for Morant when it happened.
ja morant reaction to getting traded 🥲 pic.twitter.com/DDSMYtLqRg
Portland’s decision to swing for Morant comes with plenty of upside. The Blazers are trying to get back to the playoffs after snapping a five-year drought last season, and Morant gives them another star to plug into the mix.
That said, the backcourt picture in Portland is already crowded. Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday are all there, but adding Morant gives the Blazers another high-end option and more firepower if everything clicks.
His recent production hasn’t been at his usual level. Last season in Memphis, Morant averaged 19.5 points per game, his lowest mark since the 2020-21 season, which was his second year in the league. That ended a run of four straight seasons at 23 points or more.
The bigger concern has been availability. Over the last three seasons, Morant has appeared in only 79 games for the Grizzlies because of injury and suspension. Fifty of those came in the 2024-25 season, when he helped Memphis reach the playoffs.
If he can stay on the floor in Portland, Morant gives the Blazers a real chance to hang around the Western Conference playoff race. A title push is not the expectation here, especially with teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets still sitting firmly in place.
But Morant does change the look of this team. And if Portland gets the version of him it’s betting on, the Blazers could become the kind of dangerous opponent nobody wants to draw.
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Sidy Cissoko Enters Blazers Camp With A Real Rotation Chance
The Trail Blazers are heading into camp with plenty of moving parts, from a new owner and coach to a reshaped roster after the latest trade. In the middle of all that change is Sidy Cissoko, a 22-year-old guard who has put himself in position to matter. He came through last season as a hard-playing defender and dependable presence, the kind of role player coaches tend to trust when lineups start getting unsettled.
Cissokos path has already been a real rise, and it has given Portland a reason to think he can do more than just fill minutes. His shooting still leaves room for growth, but his effort, versatility and defensive value have made him useful enough that he is now viewed as a legitimate candidate for a rotation spot. For a team trying to sort out its identity under new leadership, that kind of reliability can go a long way. [Read more 🡒]