​Ja Morant has only spent a brief stretch around his new Portland Trail Blazers teammates, yet one player has already left a lasting imprint. Morant joined several members of Portland’s roster at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, a setting where anticipation continues to grow for a retooled team anticipated to challenge for a Western Conference playoff berth. With Damian Lillard poised to return after missing the 2025-26 season due to a ruptured Achilles, and veterans Jrue Holiday and Deni Avdija signing on alongside a talented young core, optimism is high as the franchise enters a new era.
When asked about his first impressions of his new comrades, Morant highlighted Avdija for a distinctive trait. “They ragebait a lot, for sure,” Morant said. “(Deni Avdija) is definitely No. 1, but he definitely likes to ragebait people to try to provoke a response, or to get you mad, so when we have to play…you already have an edge.” Morant’s remarks weren’t meant as criticism. Instead, he described a mental approach that can yield a competitive edge even before the ball is tipped. According to the Blazers’ latest guard, Avdija embraces the mental side of competition by aiming to frustrate opponents and keep his teammates on their toes.
That mindset could mesh well with a Portland roster that blends seasoned veterans with promising young talent. Alongside Avdija, the Blazers feature Lillard, Holiday, Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Donovan Clingan, giving first-year head coach Micah Nori plenty of depth as training camp approaches. Nori also voiced confidence that Morant will make an immediate impact after arriving from the Memphis Grizzlies earlier in the offseason. “The way he was talking, the way he looked … the intent he had, you could tell in his face that he missed basketball,” Nori said, per The Athletic’s Jason Quick. “And he assured that we were going to get the best Ja and that he was going to do all the right things.” Nori added that he believes the timing of the trade could prove beneficial for both Morant and the organization. “I think we are going to get the best version of Ja,” he said. “I think we are going to get a motivated Ja.”
Summer League also marked Morant’s first public remarks since Portland acquired him in a trade that sent Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to Memphis, as reported by Yahoo. The two-time All-Star acknowledged a desire to reshape public perception in the wake of a few challenging years marked by league suspensions and ongoing scrutiny, per ESPN. “What would I like cleared up? I think you know the answer to that. My image. [That] I’m a bad guy,” Morant said. “I’m Ja. I’ve done what I’ve done in the past, but it’s been addressed and handled already. I don’t see why, years later, that’s still the topic when nothing’s happened since.” Morant also described the trade as a chance to improve his public profile. He framed the move as an opportunity to alter the narrative and “SEO” around his name, signaling a fresh start in Portland.