Ja Morant’s first season with the Portland Trail Blazers is already drawing a lot of attention, but not just because of what he might do on the floor. Former NBA champion Channing Frye thinks Morant’s stay in Portland could be brief, and he laid out a pretty clear reason why.
Frye made it plain that he would take LaMelo Ball over Morant when comparing who will have the better season. From there, he went even further, saying, “I could see Ja Morant not being in Portland for very long.
In a good way. In a great way.
I think Ja Morant is here because Portland wants to gather talent, and I think they’re going to give Ja Morant the most opportunities to be the best version of himself and then trade him somewhere where he can go back to being Ja Morant.”
He expanded on that idea by tying Morant’s arrival to Damian Lillard’s final stretch in Portland. “You’re [Morant] not here to really win.
You’re here for Dame’s last two or three years,” Frye continued. “Send him off correct.
He’s going to get a statue in front. Retire the jersey.
And Ja Morant, ‘Hey, we need you to play well so that we can trade you for assets and so that we can go back to giving our young guys their opportunities. So we could get that lottery again, get our picks, and talent assess so that you can go somewhere and really flourish on a better team.”
That logic lines up with how the roster looks right now. Portland has a crowded backcourt, with three star point guards all pushing for a starting job. That setup doesn’t exactly scream title contender, and there have even been reports that Morant might have to accept a bench role.
Still, the more likely path, if Frye’s view plays out, is Morant becoming the main piece next to Lillard, which would send Jrue Holiday to the bench and deepen the second unit.
For Portland, that kind of arrangement could serve more than one purpose. The Blazers are not built like a finished product, but they do have a chance to be competitive. For a franchise icon like Lillard, getting a real run of competitive basketball before retirement would be a fitting ending.
At the same time, Morant’s value could become a major part of the Blazers’ larger plan. A big chunk of Portland’s cap space is tied up in Holiday and Morant, so if Morant plays well enough to raise his trade stock, the team could turn him into draft assets and expiring contracts. That would give Portland more flexibility to keep other pieces in place.
Deni Avdija and Scoot Henderson are two names that immediately fit into that conversation. Avdija’s growth into an All-Star over the last season makes him someone Portland would want to keep around, and moving Morant’s salary could help create the room needed to do that while also adding future assets.
Morant’s numbers from last season were still strong on the surface: 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game, with 41.0% shooting from the field. But they were still below the level he’s shown he can reach.
Now 27, Morant has a clear chance to rebuild his value next season. Portland will be hoping for that, too, because if he gets back to familiar form, it helps both his trade market and the team’s ability to stay competitive.