The Grizzlies were ready to flip the page into a new era in Memphis. They started the process a year ago when they traded Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic. They continued the transition with the trade deadline deal that shipped Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah.
On Monday, the final piece of the puzzle was completed.
The Grizzlies, less than a week after drafting Cameron Boozer with the No. 3 pick, officially handed the keys to the franchise over to the former Duke star by trading Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers:
BREAKING: The Memphis Grizzlies are trading two-time NBA All-Star Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/FJOTzGe5Tr
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2026
The Grizzlies traded Ja Morant to the Blazers to officially transition into the Cameron Boozer era
Morant has been the face of the franchise since he was drafted with the 2nd overall pick in 2019. After some impressive years and leading Memphis to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference in 2022, things went downhill quickly.
Morant's off-the-court issues began dominating the headlines, and then his performance on the court dipped when he was actually healthy enough to play. It was time to move on. Landing the No. 3 pick, which afforded them the opportunity to draft Boozer, was all the reason they needed to officially pull the trigger.
Now, Memphis can officially move forward into the future. And that future is Boozer.
Teamed with Zach Edey, the Grizzlies will have a formidable frontcourt immediately. Boozer believes they are set up to surprise right away.
There are certainly some intriguing young pieces to build around with Boozer, Edey, and last year's first-round pick, Cedric Coward. Memphis also landed Karim Lopez in the first round, who could pay major dividends down the line.
Jerami Grant is a better player than many figured Memphis would get in a potential Morant trade. He averaged over 18 points per game and shot 39% from three last season in Portland. He'll be a nice fit on the wing alongside Coward and will benefit from Boozer's connective passing.
How soon Memphis will be ready to contend in a loaded Western Conference remains to be seen, but it shouldn't be long before Boozer leads the Grizzlies back to the playoffs. It might be as early as this coming season.
The future is now in Memphis.
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