Ja Morant trade details: Trail Blazers acquire former All-Star as Grizzlies finally move on

The Memphis Grizzlies are officially blowing up their core.

After trading Desmond Bane in June and sending Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah during the 2025-26 season, the Grizzlies took another step toward a new era by trading Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers in an offseason deal.

The writing had been on the wall for a Morant exit. The two-time All-Star has struggled to recapture the production he flashed in 2021-22 and 2022-23, with injuries and multiple run-ins with the NBA's disciplinary system putting a cloud over his final years in Memphis.

The Grizzlies didn't receive as much interest in Morant as they had hoped, according to reports, but the haul they received for Jackson gave them some flexibility to shop the former No. 2 pick without demanding a bevy of draft picks.

Here are the full details of Morant's trade to the Blazers ahead of NBA free agency.

MORE: Ranking the best free agents available

Ja Morant trade details

Trail Blazers receive:

• PG Ja Morant

Grizzlies receive:

• F Jerami Grant
• F Kris Murray

On Monday afternoon, Memphis sent Morant to Portland in exchange for forwards Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. The move gives Portland a bona fide point guard to lead their young team. For the Grizzlies, head coach Tuomas Iisalo will have some more height to work with in the new era of Memphis basketball.

BREAKING: The Memphis Grizzlies are trading two-time NBA All-Star Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/FJOTzGe5Tr

By dealing Morant, the Grizzlies aren't totally starting over, but they are fully committing to the future. Memphis will move forward with a handful of first-round picks over the next seven years and some key young pieces in Cameron Boozer, Cedric Coward, Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells.

For the foreseeable future, though, the Grizzlies' path to contention in a crowded Western Conference could be narrow.

Ja Morant contract

Morant is heading into the fourth of a five-year, $197 million contract extension. He is set to become a free agent after the 2027-28 season.

Morant will carry a cap hit of $42.2 million next season and $44.9 million in 2027-28 as he tries to position himself for another big contract after seeing his value drop so sharply over the last handful of seasons.

Ja Morant stats

Morant only played 20 games this past season, but he endured perhaps the most difficult season of his career, averaging less than 20 points per game and shooting a career-low 41 percent from the field.

Morant has never played more than 67 games in a season. While the COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of his career was a factor, injuries of late hurt his trade value. 

Ja Morant career timeline

• 2019-26: Memphis Grizzlies
• 2026-present: Portland Trail Blazers

Morant was selected No. 2 overall by the Grizzlies in the 2019 NBA Draft and had spent his entire career in Memphis before being traded ahead of the deadline.

After a Rookie of the Year award was followed by a bit of a sophomore slump, Morant emerged as one of the league's most exciting players in year three with 27.4 points per game, career-best shooting marks and Most Improved Player honors.

After a strong 2022-23 campaign, Morant was mired by a suspension related to repeated flashes of a gun on social media and injuries, which cost him large chunks of the last three seasons.