Ja Morant’s roller-coaster tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies has reportedly come to an end. The Grizzlies, who took Morant second overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, have traded the two-time All-Star point guard to the Portland Trail Blazers, according to ESPN. Portland is sending Jerami Grant and Kris Murray in exchange for Morant. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMMorant has two years remaining on his five-year, $197.23 million rookie max extension he’s currently playing under. Now, he joins a Trail Blazers team that already has veteran guard Damian Lillard in place, as the sixth overall pick by Portland returned home last year. However, Lillard never played in a game as he was recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered in the Milwaukee Bucks’ playoffs series against the Indiana Pacers. MALIK BEASLEY INDICTED ON FEDERAL CHARGES FOR ALLEGEDLY FIXING HIW OWN NBA PERFORMANCES FOR BETTORSAfter trading Desmond Bane almost one year ago to the date, the Grizzlies now move on from Morant, a player that had a red-hot start to his NBA career as the Rookie of the Year during the 2019-20 campaign, while also winning Most Improved Player in 2021-22. His explosive scoring and clutch shooting abilities were on display, as Memphis saw a player it could build around for years to come. But Morant’s off-the-court troubles made national headlines, beginning in Sept. 2022 when he was named a defendant in a lawsuit filed where the plaintiff accused him of punching a 17-year-old male during a pickup game at his home earlier that year. A judge determined in 2025 that Morant was acting in self-defense, which he claimed to responding authorities on the matter, and the case was dismissed.Morant’s biggest legal issues began in March 2023 after he was investigated for flashing a gun in a strip club during an Instagram live stream. The NBA would suspend him eight games. “Morant wielded the firearm while knowing that he was being recorded and that the recording was being live streamed on Instagram Live, despite having made commitments to the NBA and public statements that he would not repeat the conduct for which he was previously disciplined,” the league said in a statement at the time.Morant also released a statement, apologizing for his actions. “I want to apologize to the NBA, the Grizzlies, my teammates and the city of Memphis. To Adam Silver, Zach Kleiman and Robert Pera – who gave me the opportunity to be a professional athlete and have supported me – I’m sorry for the harm I’ve done. To the kids who look up to me, I’m sorry for failing you as a role model. I promise I’m going to be better. To all of my sponsors, I’m going to be a better representation of our brands. And to all of my fans, I’m going to make it up to you, I promise,” his statement read. But just two months later, Morant was hit with a 25-game suspension for “conduct detrimental to the league,” following an investigation into a second incident where he appeared to flash
Grizzlies trade Ja Morant to Trail Blazers, ending tumultuous tenure in Memphis: report
