Ja Morant will be reevaluated in four weeks after imaging revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, interrupting his promising start with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The team announced the diagnosis Friday, October 30, after Morant left Thursday’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, his former club, early in the fourth quarter.
According to the NBA’s injury update, the two-time All-Star had averaged 15.8 points and 5.5 assists across his first four games in a Portland uniform.
His efficiency had been encouraging, with 54.2% shooting from the field and 42.9% from three-point range. Portland now loses that production and another important ballhandler.
The four-week timetable refers to his next assessment, rather than a guaranteed return. The team’s announcement does not establish when he will be cleared to play.
Coach Micah Nori said Morant felt a twinge in the hamstring, according to Blazer’s Edge’s courtside report. Friday’s imaging update provided the subsequent diagnosis.
The injury overshadowed Portland’s first defeat of the season. Memphis won 124-103 at Moda Center, ending the Trail Blazers’ three-game winning start to the campaign.
Morant had scored 12 points in the first half against Memphis. He remained on the bench after his exit and later greeted former teammates.
For Portland, his absence changes the demands on a backcourt that also includes Damian Lillard. More creation will have to come from the available guards.
That adjustment arrives after an uneven team performance against Memphis. Portland shot 24.5% from three-point range and 65.4% at the free-throw line in the defeat.
Lillard finished three-for-13 from the field, leaving room for a sharper response. Replacing Morant’s penetration while maintaining offensive flow becomes an immediate challenge for Portland.
The Trail Blazers were already managing another absence Thursday, with Robert Williams III held out because of left knee management and soreness before the game.
Nori described that decision as precautionary. It should be distinguished from Morant’s new hamstring diagnosis, which now carries a specific four-week window before reevaluation.
Starting center Donovan Clingan contributed 11 points and five blocks against Memphis, but Portland struggled during stretches without its usual backup center available behind him.
The immediate priority is stabilizing the rotation while Morant recovers. His strong opening performances had helped establish momentum, but the team now faces an extended adjustment.
