Ja Morant Faces Four Week Absence After Hamstring Injury

Portland Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant will miss at least four weeks after suffering a Grade 2 strain in his left hamstring during a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. The team announced the injury Friday, following his early departure from Thursday night's game against his former team. According to the Trail Blazers, Morant will undergo another medical evaluation after the initial four-week recovery period.

His absence is expected to cover at least the next 15 games. Morant sustained the injury in the fourth quarter and did not return to the contest. Coach Micah Nori said after the game that the guard had felt a twinge in his hamstring before leaving the court.

The injury interrupts a promising opening stretch for Portland, which entered Friday with a 3-1 record. The team had also developed one of the NBA's strongest offenses, ranking third in offensive production through Thursday, according to the source report.

Morant arrived in Portland through a surprising offseason trade and joined Damian Lillard in a high-profile backcourt partnership. The two-time All-Star had averaged 15.8 points and 5.5 assists across his first four games with the Trail Blazers. His strongest scoring performance came Tuesday, when he recorded a season-high 23 points in a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. His latest injury now forces Portland to adjust its backcourt rotation.

With Morant unavailable, Nori is expected to rely more heavily on backup guards Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson. The first-year coach had previously discussed managing the playing time of both Lillard and Morant to make better use of the team's backcourt depth. Morant's latest setback adds to an injury history that has affected his availability in recent seasons. He played only 20 games during the 2025-26 season after suffering an elbow sprain.

Portland is scheduled to begin a four-game road trip against the Utah Jazz on Saturday. The team will have to navigate the upcoming stretch without Morant as he recovers from his hamstring injury.