Portland Trail Blazers’ Ja Morant Garners High Expectations From 1x NBA Champion Ahead of 2026-27 Campaign

Ja Morant is out to redeem himself this upcoming season when he suits up for the Portland Trail Blazers , and according to former NBA forward Stephen Jackson, the 27-year-old guard can use this opportunity to re-establish himself as one of the league's top stars.

"I'm happy for him. I up a million times and kept getting chances. So, I'm glad he understands. Well, I want him to understand that it's not what you do, it's what you do after. You got the opportunity to fix all this by coming out averaging 18-20, having a great year," Jackson said of Morant via the All the Smoke podcast.

"If he comes out this year and averages 18 to 20, he doesn't really have the pressure because you got Dame there. You got Avdija who's really their number one option. You just come out and get back to doing what you love and having fun. You know, you get out of Memphis; this is a great opportunity to kind of reclaim who you are," he continued.

This past season, Morant averaged 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists on a subpar 41.0 percent shooting across 20 regular-season games for the Memphis Grizzlies. He was eventually traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray – a return deemed too low for Memphis, considering Morant's star power.

Portland Trail Blazers News: Insider says the quiet part out loud about Nike's involvement in the Ja Morant trade

According to Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, Nike, based in Beaverton, Oregon, played a significant role in moving Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason.

"Nike wants to keep an eye on him because they have a ton invested in him," an anonymous source told Robinson. "From the Morant and Nike side, this will give him a chance to resurrect his career. We want him to change his image a little bit, but we still want him to be his authentic self."

"For Nike, this is a strategic risk-management move, allowing their top executives, marketing teams, and player relations reps to protect their massive financial investment in real-time while ensuring Morant stays true to the raw authenticity that made him a global icon," he added.

To Robinson's point, the Ja Morant shoe line has been a hit for Nike, and they recently released his fourth signature shoe. The Portland Trail Blazers guard will aim to prove his worth in the team's point guard logjam.