Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Efficient in preseason finale
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Morant logged 19 points (8-10 FG, 3-3 3PT, 0-1 FT), three rebounds, three assists and one steal over 27 minutes during Friday's 128-118 preseason loss to the Warriors.
Morant was back in the starting lineup for Friday's preseason finale after coming off the bench against the Kings on Tuesday. He looked good starting next to Damian Lillard, with the duo combining for 42 points. It'll be interesting to see how the Trail Blazers manage their four-guard rotation of Lillard, Morant, Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday (rest) over the course of the 2026-27 season.
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Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Starting versus Warriors
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Morant will start in Friday's preseason game against the Warriors, Anthony Slater of ESPN.com reports.
Morant came off the bench in Wednesday's 110-98 preseason win over Sacramento. However, Morant will start in the preseason finale, with Scoot Henderson heading back to the bench.
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Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Stands out with second unit
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Morant posted 14 points (4-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 6-9 FT), two rebounds, six assists and one steal during Tuesday's 110-98 preseason win over the Kings.
Coming off the bench for the first time this preseason, Morant had his best showing yet, leading Portland in assists without committing a turnover. Coach Micah Nori is still experimenting with his four-guard rotation, and it's still anyone's guess how the small-ball approach will shake out when the season begins.
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Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Sliding to second unit Tuesday
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Morant won't start Tuesday's preseason game against Portland, Frankie Cartoscelli of KHTK Sactown Sports 1140 reports.
Morant will come off the bench for the first time this preseason. The Trail Blazers will start Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan.
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Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Hands out five dimes
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Morant finished with five points (2-6 FG, 1-2 3Pt), five assists and three steals across 14 minutes in Monday's 119-66 preseason victory over the London Lions.
Although Morant struggled to find his scoring touch, he led Portland in assists and steals while committing just one turnover. The veteran guard showed encouraging playmaking in limited minutes as he continues to adjust to his new surroundings. Morant is expected to play a prominent role in Portland's backcourt, though his preseason workload has remained relatively light.
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Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Starting Wednesday
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Morant will start in Wednesday's preseason opener against the Warriors, Jason Quick of The Athletic reports.
Morant will start in his Portland debut, and it'll be Damian Lillard, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan joining him in the first unit for Wednesday's exhibition. It'll be interesting to see how Morant works alongside Lillard in the backcourt.
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Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Could start year off bench
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Morant could come off the bench for Portland to begin the season, per Casey Holdahl of the 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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Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Portland believes in him
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The Trail Blazers remain confident that 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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Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Joining crowded backcourt
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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 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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Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Traded to Portland
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The Grizzlies traded Morant (elbow) to Portland in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray on Monday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
The 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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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Shut down for season
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The Grizzlies announced Tuesday that 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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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Not playing Monday
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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 Grizzlies provide a medical update for the star point guard.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Absence continuing Saturday
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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 Grizzlies provide an updated report on the star point guard's injury.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Still sidelined
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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 Grizzlies are expected to re-evaluate Morant soon, but he can be deemed doubtful for future contests until that happens.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: To be re-evaluated in two weeks
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The Grizzlies announced Thursday that 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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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Out at least two more weeks
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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 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.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Return timeline still cloudy
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Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said Friday that Morant (elbow) is ramping up, but the two-time All-Star is uncertain to return to action following the All-Star break, Clay Bailey of the Associated Press reports. "I will continue to say, [he is] currently rehabbing. He's attacking his rehab," Kleiman said of Morant. "It's a medical determination [when he returns]."
Though Morant was rumored to be on trade block prior to last week's deadline, the 26-year-old guard ultimately stayed put in Memphis. While addressing the Grizzlies' deadline moves, Kleiman acknowledged that the organization remains "incredibly supportive" of Morant, whose uncertain health may have been a factor in him not being dealt. Morant, who last played Jan. 21 before being shut down due to a UCL sprain his left elbow, is scheduled to be re-evaluated later this week or early next week, at which point the Grizzlies could provide a better idea about how close he might be to playing again. If Morant remains sidelined following the All-Star break, the Grizzlies will continue to lean on a committee of Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen and Cam Spencer to cover the minutes at point guard.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Will miss at least three weeks
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The Grizzlies announced Saturday that Morant (elbow) will be re-evaluated in approximately three weeks.
Morant sustained a UCL sprain in his left elbow during the Grizzlies' loss to the Hawks on Wednesday and missed Friday's loss to the Pelicans before the Grizzlies opted to shut him down for a longer-term period. Since he's not scheduled to be re-evaluated for three weeks, Morant looks safe to rule out through the All-Star break, and the elbow injury could lessen the possibility of him getting moved elsewhere ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. While Morant is sidelined, Cam Spencer should step in as the Grizzlies' starting point guard, though Spencer's minutes could take a hit once Ty Jerome (calf) is cleared to make his season debut.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Out vs. New Orleans
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Morant has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Pelicans due to a left elbow sprain.
Morant looked sharp during Wednesday's matchup against Atlanta, finishing with 23 points and 12 assists, but he'll miss at least one matchup after picking up an elbow injury. This presumably means more looks for Cam Spencer and Vince Williams in the backcourt.
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Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Dishes 12 dimes with full line
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Morant produced 23 points (7-15 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 8-8 FT), two rebounds, 12 assists, three blocks and one steal in 30 minutes during Wednesday's 124-122 loss to the Hawks.
Morant was in full control of the offense, putting constant pressure on Atlanta by relentlessly attacking the rim and drawing contact for trips to the charity stripe. This performance gave Morant his third consecutive double-double and fourth 20/10 outing of the season, and he also established a new career high in blocks. Morant will look to stay hot Friday versus New Orleans.
