The Grizzlies traded Ja Morant to the Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. Here's a grade on Memphis' return and its Cameron Boozer reset.
It is finally over. Ja Morant is no longer a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, who are sending the two-time All-Star to the Portland Trail Blazers ahead of the 2026-27 season.
For some fans, the move stings. Morant was supposed to be the franchise player, the face Memphis built around. Others have already made their peace with it. Cameron Boozer, the No. 3 overall pick, is the centerpiece now, and starting over made sense. Wherever you land, the saga is finished, which leaves one question worth chewing on: what should anyone make of the return?
Grizzlies Get Neutral Value for Morant
Memphis did not get much back, and there is no spinning that. The total haul for a former All-NBA guard was Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.
Grant carries one of the league's least friendly contracts. He is owed roughly $34 million next season and holds a $36 million player option for 2027-28 that he will almost certainly exercise. Murray, for his part, is still best known as the twin brother of Sacramento's Keegan Murray. He has been a poor outside shooter throughout his young career, knocking down just 27.9% of his threes last season, and while he holds up as a wing defender, he is not disruptive enough on that end to cover for the shooting. If the jumper never comes around, his place in the league is far from secure.
So the return was thin. Some fans will pan it on those grounds, and the early reaction online reflected that. Realistically, though, this was the right move for Memphis.
Grizzlies Ready to Start New Era
Grant may be overpaid, but he remains a useful player. He averaged 18.6 points last season while shooting a strong 38.9% from three. He is a 6-foot-7 wing who can slot in at either forward spot, space the floor, defend multiple positions, and create a shot when a possession breaks down. That is close to an ideal veteran to put around a young centerpiece like Boozer.
The contract is less of a concern than it looks, too. Memphis will have its core locked into rookie deals until Grant's money comes off the books, so the overpay never really pinches. He is a sensible bridge veteran for a team rebuilding in earnest.
Murray's long-term fit is murkier, but it hardly matters. He is on the books for $5.3 million in 2026-27, the final year of his rookie deal, and he reaches restricted free agency next summer. If he has not carved out a rotation role by then, the Grizzlies can simply move on.
The bigger point is that Memphis was right to close the book on Morant. The writing had been on the wall for a while. Handing the franchise to Boozer and the young players around him is the correct call, and from here it comes down to development. All of it happens without Morant in the building.
Grade: B+
