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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Could start year off bench
Ja Morant could come off the bench for Portland to begin the season, per Casey Holdahl of the Portland Trail Blazers' official site.With Portland's backcourt fit already a talking point after Morant's arrival, a reserve role would be a notable shift for a player who has made just two appearances off the bench in his seven-year career. The Trail Blazers acquired the star guard with an eye toward him meshing with the returning Damian Lillard in the backcourt, but it sounds like the team is mulling over the idea of easing Morant into the mix. Jrue Holiday appears to be the most likely candidate to open the year as a starter if Portland ultimately decides to deploy Morant from the second unit.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Portland believes in him
The Portland Trail Blazers remain confident that Ja Morant can perform at a high level despite questions surrounding how he'll fit into Portland's crowded backcourt, general manager Joe Cronin told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN on Monday."Just straight belief in Ja. Our view of Ja as still a very high-level player," Cronin said, adding that Portland was "very focused on talent" when acquiring the two-time All-Star. Morant averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists across 20 regular-season appearances for Memphis in 2025-26, and he's expected to take on a prominent role in Portland's backcourt this season. There's also been no mention of his elbow sprain from the end of last campaign, suggesting he's 100 percent for camp.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Joining crowded backcourt
Ja Morant (elbow) is set to share the playmaking duties with Damian Lillard (Achilles) in Portland's starting backcourt after being traded from Memphis.Chris Haynes of NBA TV reported when the trade went down that the Portland Trail Blazers had a Morant and Lillard backcourt pairing in mind, so it'll be interesting to see how the ball-handling responsibilities are divvied up in 2026-27 should they stick to that plan. Morant endured yet another injury-plagued campaign with the Grizzlies in 2025-26, making just 20 regular-season appearances while shooting a career-low 41.0 percent from the floor and 23.5 percent from deep, and he's reached the 60-game mark just one time over the past five seasons. With plenty of questions surrounding his fit in his new digs, the dynamic 27-year-old point guard is shaping up as a difficult fantasy player to rank as a high-risk, high-reward gamble in the second half of drafts.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Traded to Portland
The Grizzlies traded Ja Morant (elbow) to Portland in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray on Monday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.The Portland Trail Blazers are buying low after the Grizzlies shopped Morant around the NBA for months. The point guard was certainly in need of a fresh start, but it's an interesting landing spot to say the least. The Trail Blazers have Damian Lillard (Achilles), Jrue Holiday, Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson in the backcourt already. Unless more moves are coming, it's a tricky spot to project Morant landing a major role right away.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Shut down for season
The Memphis Grizzlies announced Tuesday that Ja Morant is progressing in his recovery from a UCL sprain in his left elbow and recently received a platelet-rich plasma injection, but he'll remain out for the rest of the 2025-26 season.Morant is expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. The star point guard will finish the season with averages of 19.5 points, 8.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 28.5 minutes per game across just 20 appearances. The Murray State product has continued to be plagued by injuries and has appeared in just 79 games over the past three seasons. With Morant sidelined for the rest of the season, Ty Jerome (ankle), Walter Clayton, Cam Spencer and Javon Small (back) will likely continue seeing increased burn out of the backcourt.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Not playing Monday
Ja Morant (elbow) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Hawks.Morant has been sidelined by a UCL sprain in his left elbow since late January. His next chance to play is Wednesday against the Spurs, but he can be considered week-to-week until the Memphis Grizzlies provide a medical update for the star point guard.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Absence continuing Saturday
Ja Morant (elbow) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Hornets.Morant continues to be sidelined by a UCL sprain in his left elbow. His next chance to play is Monday against the Hawks, though Morant should be considered doubtful until the Memphis Grizzlies provide an updated report on the star point guard's injury.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Still sidelined
Ja Morant (elbow) is out for Friday's game against the Celtics.The star guard is still recovering from a UCL sprain in his left elbow. The Memphis Grizzlies are expected to re-evaluate Morant soon, but he can be deemed doubtful for future contests until that happens.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Grizzlies' Ja Morant: To be re-evaluated in two weeks
The Memphis Grizzlies announced Thursday that Ja Morant is still experiencing discomfort in his left elbow and will be reevaluated by medical staff in two weeks.Morant underwent imaging on his left elbow Wednesday, which revealed "incomplete healing" of the sprained UCL that he sustained in mid-January. The new timeline means that Morant will be out of action until at least mid-March, so Ty Jerome (calf) and Scotty Pippen (toe) should both continue to operate in elevated roles for as long as Morant is sidelined.
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by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Out at least two more weeks
Ja Morant is continuing to experience discomfort during his recovery from a UCL sprain in his left elbow, and he'll be reevaluated in two weeks, the Memphis Grizzlies announced.Morant has been sidelined since Jan. 21 due to a UCL sprain, and his recovery hasn't gone according to plan. Despite being almost a full month into the rehab process, Morant's elbow continues to be a source of pain. While Morant is absent, look for Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen to handle most of the point guard minutes. If Morant is cleared after 14 days, he could be back for a March 7 game against the Clippers.