Trail Blazers’ Ja Morant hit with brutal injury timeline after facing Grizzlies for first time originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The offseason was a wild one for everyone around the league. It was filled with twists and turns, from trades to free-agent signings.

One major move involved former Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, who was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers.

“The Grizzlies on Monday traded Ja Morant to the Trail Blazers in a move that sees Memphis start anew and gives the two-time All-Star a chance to revive his career in Portland. The Trail Blazers sent Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to the Grizzlies to complete the deal," ESPN wrote.

On Thursday night, Morant faced his former team for the first time since the trade when Portland hosted Memphis. Unfortunately, his night was cut short because of a hamstring injury.

“Portland Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant exited his first game against his former team in the fourth quarter Thursday night because of a left hamstring injury. Morant had 14 points and three assists in 23 minutes before exiting and being ruled out of the Trail Blazers’ 124-103 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Coach Micah Nori said postgame that Morant felt a twinge in his hamstring and that Nori hoped to have more answers Friday,” ESPN wrote.

The extent of the injury was initially unknown, but on Friday afternoon, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Morant would be sidelined for at least a month.

“Portland Trail Blazers’ Ja Morant has sustained a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and will miss at least four weeks, sources tell ESPN,” Charania posted.

Obviously, this is a big loss for Portland, as Morant has been playing well this season. However, the good news is that the team has plenty of depth in its backcourt, meaning two-time NBA champion Jrue Holiday will likely step into the starting lineup.

It is unfortunate for this injury to happen so early in the season, especially with injuries becoming a trend around the NBA this year. Morant will now focus on getting healthy and returning to a Trail Blazers team that has gotten off to a strong start.

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Source: sports.yahoo.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.