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Is Ja Morant trade a precursor to Blazers sending Jrue Holiday back to Celtics for Jaylen Brown?
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- Is Ja Morant trade a precursor to Blazers sending Jrue Holiday back to Celtics for Jaylen Brown?
Is Ja Morant trade a precursor to Blazers sending Jrue Holiday back to Celtics for Jaylen Brown? appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
And so it finally happened after months of speculation: Ja Morant has been traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Portland Trail Blazers in a blockbuster deal that sends Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to Memphis. The move is masterful for the Trail Blazers, representing the ultimate buy-low opportunity on a player who has shown an All-Star ceiling and can serve as the offensive engine for a contender.
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We've seen Morant at his best as an athletic phenom and one of the league's premier playmakers. However, his off-the-court decisions have cast a shadow over his box-office talent. Perhaps a change of scenery can unlock the version of Morant who led the Grizzlies to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference during the 2021-22 season and helped establish Memphis as a title contender.
But trading for Morant means much more for the Trail Blazers, who have been searching for a true superstar to elevate their championship aspirations in an increasingly competitive Western Conference.
Trading for Morant has created something of a logjam in Portland's backcourt, as the team still has Damian Lillard , Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson on the roster. As ClutchPoints Senior NBA Reporter Brett Siegel openly mused on his X account, perhaps the Trail Blazers could now emerge as a legitimate contender in the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes.
" Ja Morant to Portland makes you wonder," Siegel posted. "Jrue Holiday, Damian Lillard, and Scoot Henderson are all there as well. Suddenly, a Jaylen Brown to Portland trade is not all that crazy to imagine."
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Pairing Morant and Brown wouldn't guarantee a championship or even a top-four finish in the Western Conference, but adding two All-Star-caliber players would unquestionably improve Portland's chances of contending. Brown would receive the opportunity to lead his own team, while Morant would get the chance to rewrite the narrative surrounding his career. Together, they could transform the Trail Blazers into one of the conference's most compelling teams after a season in which they exceeded expectations.
The Trail Blazers had to overcome the loss of head coach Chauncey Billups to an investigation into an illegal gambling scheme, along with injuries to Deni Avdija , Shaedon Sharpe , Matisse Thybulle , and Robert Williams III . Even so, they persevered, survived the play-in tournament, earned the seventh seed and clinched their first playoff berth since the 2020-21 season. A backcourt featuring Morant and Brown could help elevate Portland even further in the Western Conference.
The Trail Blazers also have the draft capital to meet Boston 's steep asking price for Brown. While Portland possesses intriguing players it could include without gutting its roster, the Celtics reportedly are seeking as many as four first-round picks for the 2024 Finals MVP. The Athletic's Sam Amick detailed Boston's high asking pric e in any potential Brown trade.
"With the ( Denver ) Nuggets' reported interest in Brown unrealistic because of what they're able and willing to offer (the Celtics, per league sources, have been asking for up to four first-round picks, and Portland is seen as the frontrunner there)," Amick said.
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Giving up four first-round picks would undoubtedly be a gamble on the team's current core. But it may be one worth taking. Opportunities to acquire players of Morant's caliber without surrendering significant draft compensation are rare, and Brown proved last season that he is capable of being the centerpiece of a contender.
The ball appears to be in Portland's court, and the Trail Blazers should go all in while the NBA landscape remains as wide open as it has been in years.
Related: Why Skip Bayless is 'intrigued' by Ja Morant's fit with Blazers
