Ja Morant’s move to the Portland Trail Blazers gives his career something it hasn’t had in a while: a clean slate. And for collectors, that matters just as much as it does on the floor.
Morant was the No. 1 option for the Memphis Grizzlies for seven seasons, from the day he was drafted through the end of the recently completed season. That kind of role usually leaves a player with a hefty résumé. In Morant’s case, though, the conversation around him has been shaped less by his production than by everything surrounding it.
His off-court issues and the league penalties that followed pushed his basketball reputation into the background. That slide in public perception came with a real cost in the card market, where the hype that once surrounded him has faded along with his standing as one of the sport’s most talked-about young stars.
The high point for Morant’s cards came in mid-2022, after a strong postseason run with Memphis. Even after a market correction, his cards held up fairly well through March 2023. After that, the decline took over.
A series of gun incidents changed the trajectory. They affected his personal life, damaged his standing with fans, and led to multiple short suspensions from the Grizzlies before NBA Commissioner Adam Silver handed down a 25-game suspension ahead of the 2023-24 season.
When Morant returned, the comeback never really took hold. Injuries piled up over the following years, and there were more gun-related gestures that drew criticism. He never got back to the level he showed from 2021-2023.
That’s why the last two or three seasons have looked nothing like the stretch of play that made him a star. He’s been unavailable too often, and when he has been around, the noise around him has usually been louder than the basketball.
Still, Morant remains one of the league’s most recognizable names. Whether people view him as a villain or something else entirely, they know who he is.
They know how explosive he can be when healthy. And at 26, he’s still young enough for a reset to mean something.
The trade to Portland, announced on June 29, 2026, doesn’t guarantee a playoff surge or some dramatic Knicks-style turnaround. It does, however, give Morant and the Trail Blazers a fresh start. He’ll be joining a new team that just made the playoffs last season, and even one healthy year without more controversy could change the conversation fast.
That’s what makes the card market interesting right now. Morant’s prices are at their low point, which is exactly why collectors are paying attention. A PSA 10 of his 2019 Prizm RC is listed at $24, a PSA 10 of his 2019 Optic RC at $18, and a PSA 10 of his 2019 Chronicles RC at $25.
At those numbers, the downside is hard to ignore. For collectors who want a piece of Portland’s newest star, the entry point has rarely looked better. Morant may not be headed back to the top of the market overnight, but the door is open for a full reset.
In Other News...
Blazers Suddenly Face A Tough Call On Their Most Moveable Pieces
The Trail Blazers still have one roster spot to sort out, but the bigger question is which pieces they want to keep untouched as the front office weighs its options. Portland has spent the last couple of years building around a young core, and that gives the team a little room to be patient, whether the goal is more internal development or using one of its movable contracts to shape the roster more aggressively.
Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija and Robert Williams III all sit in that conversation for different reasons, and each would mean something different if Portland decided to act. Sharpe brings upside and control, Avdija has become the kind of value contract teams covet, and Williams offers a more complicated mix of production and uncertainty, which is exactly why the Blazers have a tough call on their hands as they look to finish the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Jrue Holiday Suddenly Holds The Key To Portlands Backcourt Mess
The Trail Blazers backcourt suddenly looks crowded after the addition of Ja Morant, and that has pushed Jrue Holiday into the center of the conversation. Holidays value goes well beyond one position, though, and that kind of versatility is exactly why Portland views him as such a useful piece while Micah Nori sorts through the lineup combinations.
Nori has plenty of options to weigh as he tries to fit the roster together, and the ripple effect reaches the starting group as much as the bench. Holidays ability to adapt gives Portland flexibility in a situation that could easily become awkward, especially with several players competing for the same minutes and roles still very much in flux. [Read more 🡒]