Grizzlies Send Ja Morant to Portland for 2 Players, Ending Core Rebuild

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jun 29

Memphis completed its breakup of the Morant-Jaren Jackson Jr.-Desmond Bane era by sending Morant to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, with no draft picks included.
The light return reflects Morant's off-court controversies and a game seen as ill-suited to the 2026 NBA, while giving the Grizzlies a clean runway into the Cam Boozer era.
Grant also brings a financial cost: Memphis absorbs more than $70 million over the next two seasons, limiting the upside of the reset.
Portland's rationale is less clear because Morant joins an already crowded point-guard group of Scoot Henderson, Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday, suggesting more moves could follow.
For the broader rebuild, the trade caps a yearlong teardown after Bane was dealt last summer and Jackson was moved to Utah at the February deadline.