Asked Monday about the Trail Blazers’ offseason trade for Ja Morantgeneral manager Joe Cronin said he did extensive background work on the two-time All-Star point guard before making the deal, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic.
“I’ve studied Ja Morant for a long, long time, and I’m very, very confident he is a good guy,” Cronin said. “So, the intel work and the study about him as a teammate, member of a community … I don’t have any concerns there.
“But I also have a lot of faith in our environment and our ability to support him. Being around Dame Lillard and Jrue Holiday is a blessing. … They will be impactful for Ja in their leadership, their friendship, their mentorship.”
As Quick notes, Morant has been limited to just 79 regular season appearances — including 20 in 2025/26 — over the past three years due to injuries and suspensions. But the 27-year-old hopes to play every game this season, and he seems to be in a healthy spot from a mental standpoint.
“I’ve been telling everybody Portland has been nothing but good to me,” Morant said. “I’ve been thanking everybody who’s played a part in helping make this process easier — my dad, my uncle, the staff here — they’ve been helping big time. I’m all settled now.”
Here’s more on the Blazers:
- New head coach Micah Nori has been spending a lot of time with Lillard this offseason, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “Dame literally just wants to win, I think that’s the only thing left he really has to do,” Nori said. “As far as physically, I’ve seen him in the gym and the individual workouts. … He’s in as good a shape as he’s been in, like he’s told me, in his whole career.” For his part, Lillard said he no longer thinks about the torn Achilles that cost him all of last season. “I talk about the injury when I’m asked about it, but as far as playing it’s not a thought,” he said. “I’m at that stage. I’m able to play free.” Lillard also expressed confidence about how a seemingly crowded backcourt will fit together, Shelburne adds.
- Ahead of his fourth season, former No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 19. Cronin said he’s been talking to Henderson’s camp about a potential deal, Quick writes. “A lot of times these deals are tricky to come by, especially for a high variance player like Scoot has been so far, where has shown some really great moments, and then some other moments where there are still questions about his game,” Cronin said. “But speaking from a Trail Blazers perspective, he is definitely a high-priority player for us. I would love it if he were here with us long term. And if it doesn’t happen this offseason, I wouldn’t be too concerned with it. We still have one more offseason to deal with it.” If Henderson doesn’t sign an extension, he’ll be a restricted free agent next summer, assuming he’s given a qualifying offer.
- While he acknowledged some challenges in negotiations, president of business operations Dewayne Hankins said Monday that the new ownership group is committed to keeping the team in Portland, per Quick of The Athletic. Hankins said he continues to actively work with the city about a new lease agreement and renovation plan for the Moda Center ahead of a December deadline. “We are committed to a deal that works for our ownership. We are committed to a deal that works for our public partners. We are doing everything we can to ensure the Trail Blazers are staying right here,” Hankins said.