Ja Morant's first month wearing a Portland Trail Blazers jersey has come to an abrupt halt. The 27-year-old guard suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain during Portland's 124-103 home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, the team confirmed.
Morant felt the injury early in the fourth quarter and exited with 7:46 remaining, according to NBA.com. He was examined on the bench before being ruled out for the remainder of the game, and an MRI afterward confirmed the hamstring strain. The outlet reported that Morant will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
Blazersedge offered additional detail on how the injury unfolded, reporting that Morant left the game against the Grizzlies early in the fourth quarter after feeling a “twinge” in his hamstring. Yahoo Sports, citing the same Thursday matchup, confirmed the injury came during the fourth quarter of Portland's 124-103 home loss to Memphis, per a Yahoo Sports report.
A Hot Start Cut Short
A Hot Start Cut Short The timing stings for Portland. In his first four games with the Blazers, Morant was averaging 15.8 points and 5.5 assists while shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range, per NBA.com's report on the injury. Against Memphis specifically, he had scored 14 points with three assists, going 2-for-5 from three-point range in 23 minutes before the injury struck.
Morant arrived in Portland this offseason as part of a trade that sent Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to Memphis, according to Spotrac. His current contract carries a base salary and cap hit of $42,166,510 for the 2026-27 season, per the same site's figures. A two-time NBA All-Star, Morant is now facing an extended absence just as he was finding rhythm in a new system.
Part Of A Wider League-Wide Trend
Morant's injury lands amid what Rockets coach Ime Udoka has called an “unprecedented” stretch of early-season setbacks across the NBA, according to CBS Sports. Less than two weeks into the 2026-27 season, a large handful of star players had already sustained notable injuries, the outlet reported, with soft-tissue injuries described as a major concern league-wide.
The NBA's official injury report was dated Friday evening. CBS Sports reported that Williams suffered a broken fibula and dislocated ankle and is expected to miss the majority, if not all, of the season, while Edwards underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and is expected to miss multiple months.
The same CBS Sports report detailed a lengthening list of other absences around the league. Jaren Jackson Jr. suffered a torn MCL expected to sideline him six to eight weeks, while Paolo Banchero's high ankle sprain is expected to keep him out four to six weeks. Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Duren and Jalen Suggs were each expected to miss at least two weeks with their own injuries, and Kawhi Leonard's knee swelling was expected to cost him multiple weeks as well.
No Clear Culprit Identified
Coaches and players have floated several theories for the spike in injuries without settling on one explanation. Per the CBS Sports report, those around the league have pointed to the 82-game schedule, a faster style of play, more possessions per game, and shorter training camps as possible contributing factors, though no single cause has been established.
For Portland, the more immediate concern is simply getting its new point guard back on the floor. Morant's first four games with the Blazers offered an early glimpse of what the team hoped to get from the trade, and he will be re-evaluated in four weeks as the Blazers navigate the season without him.
