The Ja Morant Era in Memphis began with a bang. On Monday, it ended with the Grizzlies shipping the two-time All-Star guard to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.

In a post on their social-media accounts, the Grizzlies paid tribute to Morant’s seven-year run with the organization.

Morant was the club’s first-round pick with the #2 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He had spent two seasons at Murray St., leading the nation in assists (10.0 per game) and earning consensus first-team All-American honors while averaging 24.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game as a sophomore.

Morant won 2020 Rookie of the Year honors when he averaged 17.8 points, 7.3 assists and 3.9 RPG. He helped Memphis to the #9 seed in the Western Conference, but the Grizzlies lost to Portland in the Play-In Tournament.

In the 2020-21 campaign, Morant helped Memphis to the playoffs as the #8 seed in the West. The Grizzlies defeated the Warriors and the Spurs in the Play-In-Tournament to set up a first-round series against Utah.

Although the Jazz won the series in five games, Morant averaged 30.2 points, 8.2 assists and 4.8 RPG. In a 112-109 win at Utah in the series opener, Morant had 26 points, four rebounds, four assists and one steal, hitting 11-of-21 field-goal attempts.

Morant was selected to his first All-Star Game and won the NBA’s Most Improved Award during the 2021-22 season. He averaged 27.4 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 SPG. Morant’s scoring average, 49.3 percent shooting from the field and 34.4 percent marksmanship from downtown remain career-best numbers.

Memphis won 56 regular-season games and garnered the #2 seed in the West. In the opening round, the Grizzlies advanced past Minnesota by winning the series 4-2.

With the series knotted at 2-2, Morant led the way in a crucial 111-109 home win in Game 5. He produced 30 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and three steals, scoring his team’s last 13 points, including a layup with one second left, to rally Memphis from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit.

In Game 1 of the West semifinals vs. Golden St., Morant had 34 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds and three steals, but the Grizzlies lost a 117-116 decision. He went wild in Game 2, exploding for 47 points, eight boards, eight assists and three steals to lead his club to a 106-101 victory.

Morant’s 34 points, seven assists, three rebounds and three steals weren’t nearly enough in a 142-112 loss at Golden St in Game 3. Even worse, Morant sustained a knee injury late in the fourth quarter when the game had already been decided. He missed the rest of the series, and the Warriors advanced to the West finals in six games.

Morant made his second All-Star Game in the 2022-23 season, but his behavior off the court started to become an issue. On March 4 of 2023, Morant flashed a gun during an Instagram Live video while at a Denver nightclub after a loss to the Nuggets.

The Grizzlies announced later that day that Morant would be away from the team for at least the next two games. He deleted his Instagram and Twitter accounts, releasing a statement that he would be leaving the team for an “indefinite amount of time” to figure out better ways to handle his stress, anxiety, and overall well-being.

Nearly two weeks later, the NBA announced an eight-game suspension for Morant without pay.

In 61 regular-season contests, he averaged 26.2 points, 8.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 SPG.

Memphis won 51 regular-season games and was the #2 seed in the West again, but the Lakers defeated the Grizzlies in the first round in six games. Morant missed a Game 2 win after injuring his hand the series opener.

With the series tied at 1-1 heading to L.A., Morant finished Game 3 with 45 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, but his team dropped a 111-101 decision.

In Game 4, the Lakers won 117-111 in overtime. Morant had 19 points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals, but he made merely 8-of-24 FGAs. Back at home for Game 5, Memphis beat the Lakers 116-99 with Morant’s 31 points, 10 boards and seven assists serving as the catalyst.

But in Game 6 back in Tinseltown, the Lakers destroyed Memphis 125-85. Morant had only 10 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals, going 3-of-16 on FGAs.

Two weeks after being eliminated, Morant inexplicably flashed a gun yet again on an Instagram Live video. This time around, he did so on his friend Davonte Pack’s account. The Grizzlies immediately suspended him from all team activities on May 14.

On June 16, the NBA announced that Morant would be suspended without pay for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season. In his season debut on Dec. 19, he scored 27 of his 34 points in the second half and made the game-winning shot in a 115-113 home win over New Orleans.

For a brief moment, it seemed as if Morant and the Grizzlies were back on track. That was not the case, however, as Morant sustained a season-ending shoulder injury a few weeks later. He was limited to nine total games, and Memphis limped to a 27-55 record.

Things continued to go South during the 2024-25 campaign. Morant was injured early in the season and missed 10 games. With only nine games left in the regular season on March 28, the Grizzlies fired head coach Taylor Jenkins.

After being warned for making a gun gesture during a game vs. Golden St., Morant did the same thing in the next game to earn a $75,000 fine from the NBA. After going 48-34 to get the #8 seed in the West, Memphis lost to the Warriors but defeated Dallas in the Play-In Tournament.

But the in first round of the playoffs, the Thunder deal out broom treatment to the Grizzlies in a four-game sweep. Morant was limited to 16 minutes in Game 3 due to an injury and didn’t play in Game 4.

Injuries to his calf and elbow limited Morant to 20 games this past season. He had been available to teams via trade for more than a year at this point, but there simply wasn’t much of a market for the mercurial Morant.

Well, that was the case until Monday. Now, the Grizzlies move on with their rebuilding project. All the key pieces of the Morant Era – Steven Adams, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jenkins, Xavier Tillman, John Konchar, Tyus Jones and others – are long gone now.

The Trail Blazers offer Morant a fresh start at the age of 26. Will he take advantage of it and get his career back on track? Only time will tell, but the guess here is this could be his final NBA opportunity.