Why the Trail Blazers’ Ja Morant Gamble Could Pay Off

Coming off his second straight All-NBA finish in 2023, the future seemed so bright for Ja Morant. Despite a tough playoff loss to an underseeded Lakers squad, the Grizzlies still had a ton to be excited about moving forward.

Morant looked like a superstar in the playoffs, and Memphis was going to be one of the best teams in the West for years to come. Unfortunately, injuries and, more importantly, off-the-court issues have derailed Morant’s blossoming career, and Memphis was looking for any way to move on from him.

Portland decided to take a risk on Morant, and I think it’s a genius move. Morant turns 27 this season but has played only 79 games over the last three regular seasons. Durability is a massive concern, but Portland has the luxury of a very deep backcourt to bail him out.

Jrue Holiday, Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, and Morant make one of the most interesting backcourts in the league, but it’s more than just depth that intrigues me.

Some players simply need a change of scenery. Not to analyze Morant and the people he surrounds himself with, but it didn’t take a genius to see that Memphis was only exacerbating his issues.

Recent interviews have shined a much more positive light on Morant. He’s spoken very highly of his All-Star teammate Deni Avdija and seems much happier in Portland.

If Morant can stay on the floor, he really could raise Portland’s ceiling to that of a Western Conference contender. Throughout their first-round battle with the eventual Western Conference champs, the San Antonio Spurs, defense wasn’t the issue for the Blazers.

Henderson had some of the brightest moments of his career in the postseason, but he’s not ready to be a guy you’ll consistently trust to get clutch buckets. It’s too early to see if Lillard still has anything left in the tank, but those two could be a very exciting pairing with solid defensive options around them like Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan.

Currently, Portland has the 18th-best odds to make the Finals at +7500. Unless Avdija and company take massive leaps, I’m not sure they’re actually Finals contenders, but there still seems like some massive value to be found there.

Not a ton of books have odds yet, but the Blazers are projected to have a win total around 40.5 this year, and if that’s where the market opens, make sure to hammer the over for Portland.