Ja Morant out at least four weeks with Grade 2 hamstring strain after Trail Blazers' loss in Memphis
Portland's Ja Morant has a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, after leaving Thursday's 124-103 loss in Memphis.
At a glance
- The Trail Blazers said on Friday, October 30, 2026, that imaging showed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Ja Morant; he will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
- He was hurt in Thursday's 124-103 loss at Memphis, in his return to the city of his former team.
- Grade 2 hamstring strains in the NBA have cost an average of 34.7 days, or about 14 games, since 2005-06.
- Jrue Holiday is expected to move into the starting five, with more asked of Scoot Henderson off the bench.
Portland Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant will miss at least four weeks with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, the team said on Friday, October 30, 2026, a day after he left his return game in Memphis. Imaging confirmed the injury, and Morant will be re-evaluated in four weeks, which points to a return no earlier than around the start of December.
Morant asked out of Thursday's game in the fourth quarter, grabbing the back of his leg. Portland lost 124-103 to the Grizzlies, his former team. He later returned to the bench with a large wrap on the leg.
What a Grade 2 strain usually costs
A Grade 2 strain is a partial tear. Since the 2005-06 season, players have missed an average of 34.7 days, or about 14 games, for an in-season injury of this grade, according to figures shared by an NBA injury analyst. That matches the team's timetable, although the re-evaluation date is not a return date and hamstrings can flare up again if a player comes back too soon.
| Morant's injury at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Injury | Grade 2 left hamstring strain |
| When | Thursday, October 29, in Memphis |
| Result that night | Grizzlies 124, Trail Blazers 103 |
| Re-evaluation | In four weeks |
| Typical NBA absence | 34.7 days, about 14 games |
A bad moment in a good start for Portland
The timing stings because the move had been working. Portland's fast offence has been one of the bright stories of the young season, and Morant looked closer to his old self than he has in a long time. He has averaged about 16 points and more than five assists per game, with fewer of the drives into big defenders that defined his early career and more floaters in the lane.
Morant had talked up his new role earlier in the week after a win over the Los Angeles Lakers. "I feel like a lot of people think like I'm just supposed to score 25 or score 30 every time, and I'm really a point guard," he said.
Who fills the gap in Portland's backcourt
Jrue Holiday is expected to move into the starting five, alongside Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija, Portland's leading scorer. That should keep the offence organised, but the depth falls away after that.
The biggest question is Scoot Henderson, who began the season coming off the bench and has averaged just 7.5 points on 34.4% shooting. He will now have a larger role for a month, and the Blazers need more from him.
A long list of injuries for Morant
Injuries are a familiar part of Morant's career. He has missed time in recent seasons with hip, elbow and calf problems, as well as an earlier left hamstring issue in the spring of 2025. Whether Portland handles this one cautiously will be clearer when the four-week scan arrives, probably in the final days of November.
Questions people are asking
When will Ja Morant return?
The Trail Blazers will re-evaluate him in four weeks, which points to late November at the earliest, with an early-December return also possible. No return date has been set.
