Portland Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant will be sidelined for a minimum of four weeks after suffering a Grade 2 left hamstring sprain during Thursday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The injury occurred with 7:46 remaining when Morant went to retrieve his own missed floater. He stayed on the court for two more defensive possessions before exiting and did not return. In 23 minutes, Morant recorded 14 points, three assists and two rebounds. The 124-103 loss marked Portland's first defeat of the 2026-27 season after opening wins over the Lakers, Kings and Suns.
Impact on Trail Blazers Rotation
Morant, who played just 79 games over the previous three seasons and only 20 in 2025-26, had been averaging 15.8 points, 5.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds in his first four games with Portland. With Morant out, veteran guard Jrue Holiday is expected to move into the starting backcourt alongside Damian Lillard. The Blazers entered the season with a crowded guard rotation that also includes Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, though Sharpe is already out long-term with a torn lateral meniscus. First-year coach Micah Nori has distributed minutes among Lillard (29.5 per game), Morant (25.8), Holiday (25.3) and Henderson (18.8). Portland currently ranks second in the NBA with a 101.3 defensive rating, a figure that could improve with Holiday's perimeter defense in the starting lineup.
League-Wide Injury Crisis Deepens
Morant joins a growing list of early-season absences across the NBA. Stars such as Anthony Edwards, Paolo Banchero, Kawhi Leonard, Jaren Jackson Jr., Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are also set to miss time. Additionally, Brandon Ingram, Jimmy Butler, Kon Knueppel and Kristaps Porziņģis have yet to make their season debuts. Ben Simmons suffered a torn Achilles in practice just before the opener and will miss the entire 2026-27 campaign.
