Morant trade is a 'complete reset' for Grizzlies
Grant Liffmann discusses the Ja Morant trade and how it will impact the Memphis Grizzlies' culture and the Portland Trail Blazers' backcourt.
Video Transcript
Looks like the Ja Morant era in Memphis is finally gonna be over.
Yeah, looks like the Memphis Grizzlies have reportedly agreed on a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers to send Ja Morant to Portland for Jeremy Grant and Kris Murray.
And obviously for the Memphis side, you know, they've been trying to get off Ja for, let's say a little bit, about a year now.
And before they were asking for assets, they were trying to really get back as much as they could, but it, it just, the market ran dry for Ja for a multitude of reasons.
And for Memphis, they really A, a lot of it was just resetting the culture.
They bring in some good culture guys in Jeremy Grant and Kris Murray, and get off of about maybe a $10 million difference in, in two years from now, off Ja Morant's contract in, in relation to Jeremy Grant's contract.
So, for Memphis, yeah, it's an end of an era.
It really is.
It's, it's a reset, complete reset.
No more Ja Morant, no more Jaren Jackson Jr., no more Desmond Bane, et cetera.
So, from here, Memphis turns to, Cam Boozer and the young players that they've really accumulated and really started to build with.
On the flip side, for Portland, this is an interesting one.
I, I did not see this one coming.
Ja, you know, it, it's, it's a flyer they're taking on a guy who has immense talent, but we just haven't seen much production out of him for the last couple years, mostly due to injuries.
But for Ja, you know, it, it's just can he, can he still play with that burst?
Can he p- can he still produce, with that elite athleticism now?
And it, we're Everyone's a little curious to see what he has left in the tank, and Portland's taking a gamble.
But most importantly, the interesting part for them is they have a loaded backcourt.
That's probably their biggest strength was their backcourt.
They get Dame Lillard back this next year.
they already have Jrue Holiday, who's just, you know, obviously a, a stalwart, a veteran that a lot of teams want.
We'll get to that in a second.
And then also Scoot Henderson, who really is like a, a, a version of what they wanted, you know, him to be.
It's like a Ja Morant, just athletic, attacks the hoop, high flyer.
So, they bring in Ja to team up with Dame potentially in, in a starting lineup alongside Deni Avdija who was a breakout, Toumani Camara.
They have Donovan Clingan.
They have, they have a good young team.
but the question mark then goes, are they really gonna go into next season with all these backcourt options?
Remember, they also have Shaedon Sharpe, who, who's not a one, but he's also in the backcourt.
He's more of like a two-three.
so do they trade Jrue Holiday?
Do they I, I, I don't I doubt they're gonna move Dame Lillard.
do they look and try to test the market for Scoot?
It, it's, it's, it's an interesting conundrum they now have.
Now, they have been rumored for Jaylen Brown before.
Perhaps they try to use some of this, to then get in that market as well.
I do not think it's over for Portland.
I don't think that they're planning on going to next season with all these guards loaded up there, because they just don't have enough time for all of them.
So we will see, but it's a very interesting trade.
That's my instant reaction.
But I believe, you know, I could be wrong, but I think there's more to come.
