Portland Trail Blazers star Ja Morant sustained a Grade 2 left hamstring sprain during the team’s Thursday matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, his former team. The injury occurred with 7:46 remaining in the contest when Morant attempted to retrieve his own missed floater. He remained on the court for two additional defensive possessions before exiting at the next stoppage. The team announced Morant will miss at least the next four weeks as a result of the injury.
Morant finished his appearance with 14 points, three assists and two rebounds across 23 minutes of action. The Trail Blazers fell to the Grizzlies 124-103 in what marked their first loss of the 2026-27 season following victories over the Lakers, Kings and Suns. Morant was making his first appearance against his previous team after being traded to Portland earlier in the offseason.
Prior to joining the Blazers, Morant had appeared in 79 total games over the preceding three seasons, including just 20 games during the 2025-26 season. In his initial four games with Portland, he averaged 15.8 points, 5.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds. With Morant sidelined, the Trail Blazers are expected to insert veteran guard Jrue Holiday into the starting lineup. The team’s backcourt had been a key storyline heading into the season given the presence of multiple guards including Morant, Damian Lillard, Holiday and Scoot Henderson.
The Morant injury adds to a troubling trend of early-season injuries affecting the league. Anthony Edwards, Paolo Banchero, Kawhi Leonard, Jaren Jackson Jr., Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are among other notable players expected to miss time. Additionally, several players including Brandon Ingram, Jimmy Butler, Kon Knueppel and Kristaps Porziņģis have not yet made their season debuts. Ben Simmons of the Kings tore his Achilles in practice before the season and will miss the entire 2026-27 campaign.
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