Ja Morant found a new destination in the offseason and joined Damian Lillard in Portland. Though there have been conversations about his off-court antics and controversial behavior, there is no doubt Morant is one of the most explosive guards who can attack the rim like no other. Former NBA player Robin Lopez believes the duo can bring an unexpected impact next season.

Lillard missed the 2025-26 season due to a torn left Achilles tendon and a subsequent injury. He returns to the team alongside a talented youngster in Deni Avdija. Morant’s addition will add more firepower to the backcourt and can be beneficial to the Blazers.

Lopez also highlighted that an exodus of stars from the Western Conference will open more opportunities for the Blazers. He said:

“The West has gotten worse. LeBron James has departed. He headed east. Kawhi Leonard headed east. The Warriors are no longer ascended. It’s a youthful West, and this is a team that has Damian Lillard coming back…they picked up what seems like a discount Ja Morant. If he’s in the right mindset, he’s a top-5, top-10 player in the NBA paired with Damian Lillard.”

Morant went through a difficult phase due to his injuries and other controversies and has played limited games in the last few seasons. He played 20 games last season and averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists per game. If he remains out of headlines, the Blazers could be a team to look out for in the West.

Ja Morant talks about his struggles after injuries

Ja Morant talked about his constant run-ins with injuries in an interview with Bleacher Report and expressed how a long rehabilitation process gets to a player’s mind and impacts his production. He said:

“Tough. It’s a lot. You want to be out there, knowing you can’t. That’s, I feel like, the even tougher part. I feel like nobody in this league would get injured and be able to play and not play, unless it’s something where it’s like, ‘All right, if I go play, I maybe can hurt it worse,’ or anything. Mentally, it can have you down on yourself. Actually, it can make you question everything, like, ‘Why it had to be me? Why at this time?'”

Morant averaged 9.0 points, 5.33 assists and 1.33 rebounds per game in the preseason and is trying to be more comfortable on the court. Both Lillard and he are coming out of injuries and can take some time before they are back in form.

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