Ja Morant’s ‘excited’ reaction to Blazers trade

On Monday afternoon, the Portland Trail Blazers shook up the NBA world by trading for star point guard Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies. In return, the Blazers gave up Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.

Now, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, who originally broke the news of the trade, has spoken on Morant’s frame of mind amid the blockbuster deal.

“Blazers officials spoke to Ja Morant a short time ago. I’m told Morant told them he’s excited to be in Portland now. From a basketball fit, though, this now has Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday in the backcourt, so as far as where the basketball is going to go, who’s going to get the shots, who’s going to get the opportunities… they’ve got a lot of players who are capable with the ball in their hands,” said Charania, per his account on X, formerly Twitter.

Indeed, the Blazers have a logjam of players in their backcourt now, leading some to wonder if this could be further fuel for the team’s talks with Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown in a trade. However, Charania has since reported that the Blazers view the Morant acquisition as their “big move” and are not actively pursuing Brown.

When healthy, Morant is one of the most electrifying players in the league, boasting elite athleticism and quickness to put relentless pressure on opposing defenses. Unfortunately, off-court issues, injuries, and efficiency regression have hampered him over the last few years, culminating in his trade value tanking to what the Blazers gave up to Memphis.

Clearly, Morant is excited about starting a fresh chapter in Portland, despite the Blazers’ bizarre collection of backcourt players next to him in the lineup.