We have already seen Giannis Antetokounmpo’s blockbuster move to the Miami Heat. But in the offseason, the league’s rumor mill has continued to link superstars like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Jaylen Brown with potential exits from their current teams. Amid the chaos, the Memphis Grizzlies made perhaps their biggest organizational decision in years, ending the Ja Morant era.

ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news that the Portland Trail Blazers acquired two-time All-Star Ja Morant from the Grizzlies in exchange for veteran forward Jerami Grant and young wing Kris Murray. The 2x All-Star has two years left of his $197.2 million extension, which he signed in 2022. The move ends Morant’s seven-year tenure in Memphis, where he emerged as one of the NBA’s brightest young stars before injuries and off-court issues limited his availability over the last three seasons.

“They felt like they had to take a swing based on the talent that Ja Morant has, in hopes that he has a chip on his shoulder for motivation to turn his career around,” Charania said on SportsCenter. “I will add one more note: the Blazers did speak to Ja Morant today shortly after the trade. I’m told he expressed to them that he’s excited to be in Portland.”

The writing was on the wall for some time. Memphis’ final home game of the season was also the Fan Appreciation Night, but Ja Morant watched his teammates give away their jerseys. The Grizzlies reportedly informed Morant just an hour before the game that he wouldn’t be part of the giveaway. In fact, while walking off, the 26-year-old threw a peace sign and had already put his seven-bedroom Eads home on the market. Now, the Blazers are hoping that Morant can lead them into a better future.

Using a 125% trade exception to complete the Morant acquisition hard-caps Portland at the first apron, explained NBA salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan. The Blazers keep tax room for moves like re-signing Robert Williams and using the $15M non-tax MLE, plus exceptions including bi-annual and smaller trade exceptions. They traded away Jerami Grant ($34.2 million) and Kris Murray ($5.3 million) and no further picks to bring Ja Morant to Rip City.

Morant remains one of the league’s most explosive guards when healthy, averaging 22.4 points and 7.4 assists over his career. The Blazers are betting that a change of scenery can help him rediscover his All-NBA form. Morant’s durability remains the biggest question. He has played only 79 games over the previous three seasons while also serving suspensions during that stretch.

Before landing Morant, Portland had been connected with several marquee names as it searched for another superstar to pair with its core. Among the players reportedly linked to the Trail Blazers were Jaylen Brown, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Anthony Davis. Ultimately, rather than waiting for another opportunity, Portland pivoted and acquired Morant.

What’s next for the Blazers after the Ja Morant trade?

Portland was the last team that needed a ball-handling point guard. Damian Lillard will suit up for the first time this season after missing out last year due to injury. But they also had Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson on the roster before pulling off that blockbuster trade for Ja Morant. NBA TV’s Chris Haynes did share that the plan from the Trail Blazers is to start Morant alongside Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija.

This would give them an unconventional backcourt advantage despite the apparent overlap in ball-handling responsibilities. Now, some sources believe that trading for Ja Morant was the first name, and the next one involves trading for Jaylen Brown. Reporter Evan Sidery also suggested that this could be possible.

Boston would receive Jrue Holiday, Shaedon Sharpe, and Scoot Henderson with a combined salary of ($68.4 million) alongside draft compensation. Meanwhile, Portland will receive Brown and  Sam Hauser for $67.9 million.