The Portland Trail Blazers’ trade for Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant on Monday afternoon indicated a shake-up of the roster in a bigger way than we’ve seen since Deni Avdija came on board in 2024.
The fallout and consequences of the deal–intended and less so–will play out over the next couple years. In the aftermath of the exchange, Jason Quick of The Athletic posited that one thing is not changing in Portland: the importance of third-year center Donovan Clingan. [subscription required]
A shot-blocker,
rebounder, and defensive space-eater, Clingan will now be depended on for even more defense as Morant and prospective backcourt mate Damian Lillard are not known for their prowess on that end of the court.
Quick writes:
One thing has become certain about the Trail Blazers after Monday’s trade for point guard Ja Morant: Portland center Donovan Clingan is now essentially off limits in trade talks, according to a team source.
With the Blazers acquiring Morant, and welcoming the return of Damian Lillard this season, the need for Clingan’s elite rim protection has become so valuable that the team considers Clingan an essential piece to making the backcourt pairing work. Morant and Lillard are both undersized guards, and neither have excelled on the defensive end, so the need for the 7-foot-2 Clingan’s deterrence inside has become even more valuable.
Editorializing a bit, this is true on the surface, but it’s also possible the Blazers just punched Clingan’s ticket to four fouls in the first half of every game their new backcourt duo starts.
Quick also explains that Portland may not be done dealing yet:
The Blazers are still in the market to make another deal. They want more big-man depth and realize they have a logjam of four point guards with Morant, Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson, but the team does not feel it is essential to unload one of its guards. The Blazers believe the four guards can co-exist, in large part because the team believes Holiday can alleviate the redundancy by playing him off the ball as a shooting guard or small forward.
Inside the Blazers, the decision to take on Morant in exchange for forwards Jerami Grant and Kris Murray was seen as a no-brainer. In a league that is become more positionless, the Blazers see it as a luxury having a stable of decision-makers a luxury. Still, expect the Blazers to be active in the coming days.
This continues an interesting trend. Locally-based media, including yours truly, appear to be betting on the Blazers making further moves. Nationally-based media are largely claiming that Portland is done with major trades for the summer.
Stay tuned and we’ll see what happens.
