The Grizzlies’ reported trade of Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers—swapping in Jerami Grant and Kris Murray—arrives with NBA free agency set to open Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET. The move also turns the spotlight onto Morant’s contract timeline as Portland weigh
The next domino in Portland’s rebuild could fall before the first major offer is even on the table.
A reported trade that sends Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Portland Trail Blazers has already set off a scramble of reactions and expectations just ahead of NBA free agency. The timing matters: the league’s negotiation period opens Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET, and teams are likely to treat this deal as a starting gun for what comes next.
The reported swap, first surfaced by ESPN, would have Memphis sending Morant— a two-time All-Star guard and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft— to Portland. In return, the Grizzlies would receive forward Jerami Grant and forward Kris Murray.
Morant’s contract details help explain why the trade immediately raised the stakes for Portland’s near-term planning. Morant is still under the five-year deal he signed in July 2022, worth $197.2 million. The 26-year-old is set to make $42 million and $44 million over the next two seasons. and he’s scheduled to become a free agent in the summer of 2028.
That matters because free agency isn’t just about flexibility—it’s about choices. With Portland lined up for the start of negotiations across the league on Tuesday, the Morant trade also reshapes what fans and decision-makers expect to hear in the next round of roster updates.
There’s also an extra layer of momentum behind the headline rumor: the idea that this deal could be more than a one-off. The trade reactions around Morant have already fed into broader speculation about future moves for the Blazers. with trade ideas and player scenarios circulating in the same breath as this reported swap.
The question now is simple, and it hangs over every general manager meeting between today and Tuesday night: if Morant changes the math, what does Portland do next—and how quickly does the market react?
Ja Morant Memphis Grizzlies Portland Trail Blazers Jerami Grant Kris Murray NBA trade rumors NBA free agency player contracts