Ja Morant's Blazers Start Was Electric, Then a Hamstring Strain Hit
Morant opened his Portland career with a rout of Phoenix and a win in Sacramento, but a grade two left hamstring strain has now put him on the shelf for at least four weeks.
Ja Morant will miss at least four weeks with a left hamstring strain, the Trail Blazers announced on Oct. 30, according to NBC Sports. The news cuts short a debut stretch that had Portland feeling like a clean slate for the guard.
The injury
NBC Sports, quoting the team's announcement, reported that imaging showed a grade two strain and that he will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
A debut that set the tone
Morant first played for Portland on Oct. 21, 2026, in a 124-83 win over Phoenix. According to CBS Sports, he scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting, hit two of three from deep, and added five rebounds, eight assists and three steals in 23 minutes.
He started in the backcourt next to Damian Lillard, with Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan, a lineup Yahoo Sports reported was contrary to expectations. Lillard scored 25 points in his first regular-season game since rejoining the Blazers, and Portland opened on a 21-0 run and led by as many as 52, according to Yahoo Sports. Rip City Project noted Morant was a team-high +33 in his minutes.
Two nights later in Sacramento
Portland followed with a 128-120 win over the Kings on Friday, Oct. 23, moving to 2-0, according to ESPN. Morant finished with 12 points, three rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 27 minutes, per NBA.com. Avdija led the Blazers with 26 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Lillard and Camara each scored 19. The loss dropped Sacramento to 0-2.
Why availability was the story
The backdrop made the early games matter. Memphis traded the two-time All-Star to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray on June 29, 2026, ESPN reported, and Yahoo reported no draft picks changed hands. ESPN also noted that Morant played only 79 games over three seasons because of off-court issues and injuries, a stretch that began after his second consecutive All-Star appearance in 2023.
Healthy to start 2026-27, he had a fresh start in Portland, as CBS Sports described it. The hamstring strain interrupts that.
What comes next
The next update on Morant is expected at his re-evaluation, according to NBC Sports.
Sources
- Ja Morant (en.wikipedia.org)
- Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Strong showing in Blazers debut - CBS Sports (cbssports.com)
- Why Charles Barkley think Blazers are ‘worst place’ for Ja Morant - Yahoo Sports (sports.yahoo.com)
- Lillard returns with 25 points, Morant debuts and the Blazers rout the Suns 124-83 - Yahoo Sports (ca.sports.yahoo.com)
- Grading Ja Morant’s Blazers debut in blowout win over Suns (ripcityproject.com)
- Ja Morant (nba.com)
- Trail Blazers 128-120 Kings (Oct 23, 2026) Game Recap - ESPN (espn.com)
- Grizzlies trade Ja Morant to Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant, Kris Murray - ESPN (espn.com)
- Portland's Ja Morant to miss at least a month with left hamstring strain - NBC Sports (nbcsports.com)
- Ja Morant is out at least 4 weeks — here's what it means for the Trail Blazers - Yahoo Sports (sports.yahoo.com)
- Ja Morant’s Hamstring Blow Kills Portland’s Early Hopes Immediately - Yahoo Sports (sports.yahoo.com)
- Ja Morant (PG, SG) Stats, News, Rumors, Bio, Video - Portland - Yahoo Sports (sports.yahoo.com)
- What the Ja Morant Trade Means for Every Trail Blazers Player - Yahoo Sports (sports.yahoo.com)
