Ja Morant will be out for at least four weeks after sustaining a Grade 2 left hamstring sprain during Portland's game against Memphis on Thursday, the Trail Blazers announced. The injury cut short his first meeting with the Grizzlies since they traded him to Portland earlier this summer.
Morant appeared to get hurt while attempting to collect the rebound from his own missed floater in the lane. He remained on the court for two defensive possessions before leaving at the next stoppage, with 7:46 left in the game. He did not return, ending his night with 14 points, three assists and two rebounds in 23 minutes.
Memphis won 124-103, handing Portland its first loss of the 2026-27 season. The Trail Blazers had opened with victories against the Lakers, Kings and Suns. Across his first four appearances for Portland, Morant averaged 15.8 points, 5.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds. His latest absence follows three seasons in which he played a combined 79 games, including only 20 in 2025-26.
Veteran guard Jrue Holiday is the likely replacement for Morant in the starting lineup. Portland began the season with several established and developing options competing for backcourt minutes, including Morant, Damian Lillard, Holiday and former third overall draft pick Scoot Henderson. Henderson is due to become a restricted free agent this summer.
Under first-year coach Micah Nori, Lillard has received the largest share of playing time among those four guards, averaging 29.5 minutes. Morant has averaged 25.8 minutes, followed by Holiday at 25.3 and Henderson at 18.8. Henderson could now take on more responsibility as the first guard coming off the bench, although Sidy Cissoko has averaged more playing time at 22.8 minutes.
The lineup adjustment comes with Portland already among the league's strongest defensive teams in the opening stretch. Through the season's first week and a half, the Trail Blazers rank second in the NBA in defensive rating at 101.3.
Morant joins several prominent players expected to miss at least the next few games, with some facing longer absences. That group includes Anthony Edwards, Paolo Banchero, Kawhi Leonard, Jaren Jackson Jr., Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. Brandon Ingram, Jimmy Butler, Kon Knueppel and Kristaps Porziņģis have yet to appear this season.
Sacramento has also lost Ben Simmons for the entire 2026-27 campaign. Simmons, who had been expected to take on a significant role with the Kings, tore his Achilles during practice days before the season opener.
