Grizzlies Trade Star Ja Morant to Blazers
The Memphis Grizzlies traded star player Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. Memphis received Jerami Grant and Kris Murray in this big trade. Morant played only seventy-nine games in three years due to suspensions and shoulder and elbow injuries. Memphis is entering a new era. Morant is joining a young team in Portland that has many guard players.
The Memphis Grizzlies traded star player Ja Morant on Monday. They sent him to the Portland Trail Blazers. Memphis got Jerami Grant and Kris Murray in the trade. The famous basketball star Ja Morant is 26 years old. He was a two-time All-Star but had many problems.
He played only 79 games in the last three years. Injuries and team suspensions stopped him from playing more games. Morant had bad injuries in his shoulder and his elbow. Also, the league suspended him for displaying a gun online. He served an eight-game ban in March 2023. He missed 25 games at the start of the next season. Last November, he had a big fight with his coach. The team suspended Morant for one game after that loss. The coach of the Memphis team is Tuomas Iisalo.
Memphis now enters a new era after this big trade. They traded all three of their main franchise star players. The other stars were Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Junior. They traded those players after the 2025 playoff loss. The Oklahoma City Thunder swept Memphis in the first round. The team won only one playoff series with that group. Now, young Cameron Boozer is the leader of the team. Memphis chose Boozer with the number three draft pick.
Morant will join a young Trail Blazers team in Portland. Portland made the playoffs for the first time since 2021. The breakout star of the Portland team is Deni Avdija. However, Portland already has many guards in their backcourt. Veteran Jrue Holiday and star Damian Lillard are in Portland. Lillard returned to Portland after the Bucks waived him. He signed a new contract for three years with Portland. Young guards Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe also play there.
Take a position. Out loud, if you can.
Four ways to start. Pick one and try saying it before you scroll on.
Tip · Record yourself, use in a notebook, or practice with a language partner.
Who did Memphis receive in exchange for Ja Morant?
Past Simple Tense
Use regular and irregular past simple verbs to describe completed actions in the past.
“The Memphis Grizzlies traded star player Ja Morant on Monday.”
What to know · A2
Try saying this aloud
Scenario: You want to talk to your teammate about a soccer match.
- 01“We played a great game.”
- 02“I got injured yesterday.”
- 03“Let's win next time.”
Register tip · informal
🔑Key Phrases
Indicates the destination of the player trade.
They sent her to the main office.
Describes the transition the team is undergoing.
The company now enters a new market after the deal.
Specifies Portland's recent team milestone.
He visited Japan for the first time since 2015.
💬Discussion Questions
Open-ended questions to talk or write about — alone, with a partner, or in class.
- 1
Why do teams trade players instead of keeping them?
Opinion - 2
How does a big injury affect a player's career?
Evaluate - 3
What should a coach do if a player behaves badly?
Evaluate - 4
How did you feel when you played sports in school?
Personal - 5
Why do some sports teams have more fans than others?
Opinion - 6
How is playing basketball different from playing football?
Compare - 7
Will Ja Morant play better in Portland, and why?
Predict - 8
Why do people enjoy watching young players in the draft?
Opinion
Adapted from ESPN · Read the original. LectoPress rewrites the facts as original graded-reader text for language learners.
Get stories at your level, every day
A2 · EN · delivered to your inbox · unsubscribe any time
Customize language, level & topics → full preferences
