Portland Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant sustained a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and will miss at least four weeks before being reevaluated. The injury occurred during his first game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night, forcing him to exit in the fourth quarter. Coach Micah Nori confirmed Morant felt a twinge before leaving the game.
The setback arrives amid a promising start for Morant and the Trail Blazers, who entered Friday with a 3-1 record. The four-week timeline means Morant will miss at least 15 games, beginning with a road trip against the Utah Jazz on Saturday. In his absence, first-year coach Nori will lean heavily on backup guards Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson.
Morant, acquired in a surprising offseason trade, joined Damian Lillard in a star-studded backcourt delivering the NBA's No. 3 offense. He scored a season-high 23 points against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday and averaged 15.8 points and 5.5 assists over his first four games. Morant, 27, has dealt with a series of injuries in recent seasons, playing just 20 games in 2025-26 due to an elbow sprain.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing