Portland Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant will miss at least the next four weeks after suffering a Grade 2 left hamstring sprain during Thursday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the team announced. The injury occurred with 7:46 remaining in the contest when Morant missed a floater and grabbed his own rebound, appearing to hurt his hamstring. He remained on the floor for two more defensive possessions before leaving the game and did not return.
Injury Details and Early Season Performance
In 23 minutes of play, Morant finished with 14 points, three assists and two rebounds. The 124-103 loss marked Portland's first defeat of the 2026-27 season after opening with victories over the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. Morant, who played only 79 total games over the previous three seasons and appeared in just 20 games during the 2025-26 campaign, had been averaging 15.8 points, 5.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds in his first four games with the Blazers.
Impact on Trail Blazers Rotation
With Morant sidelined, veteran guard Jrue Holiday is expected to move into the starting lineup. Portland entered the season with a crowded backcourt that also includes Damian Lillard, Holiday and restricted free agent Scoot Henderson. First-year coach Micah Nori has distributed minutes among Lillard (29.5 per game), Morant (25.8), Holiday (25.3) and Henderson (18.8), while Sidy Cissoko has averaged 22.8 minutes. Henderson could see an increased role as the primary guard off the bench. The Blazers rank second in the NBA with a 101.3 defensive rating through the first week and a half, a figure that may improve with Holiday starting.
League-Wide Injury Crisis
Morant joins a growing list of NBA stars missing significant time early in the season. Anthony Edwards, Paolo Banchero, Kawhi Leonard, Jaren Jackson Jr., Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are also sidelined. 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 season.
