FIFA World Cup 2026: Weaknesses hard to find in France defence, says Sweden coach Potter Sweden will need to produce the performance of a lifetime to topple World Cup powerhouses France in their round-of-32 ‌clash, coach Graham Potter said on Monday, as his young outfit prepare to face ⁠a side with “quality all over”.Sweden squeaked into the tournament after a miserable qualifying campaign and will proudly wear the underdog ‌tag against France on Tuesday after an erratic group-stage campaign, where they beat Tunisia 5-1 ‌but lost to the Netherlands by the same ‌scoreline.Kylian ⁠Mbappe-led France, which romped into the knockouts with ⁠three straight wins, is nearly unbeatable, according to former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Potter knows his side will need to produce something special.“We have ‌to be as close to perfect as we can be,” Potter said. “We know the quality of the opponent and we have full respect for that.”Sweden’s hopes ‌rest on a youthful squad with limited World Cup experience, anchored by veteran defender Victor Lindelof, who can also be utilised in ⁠midfield.MATCH REPORT | Paraguay knocks Germany out of FIFA World CupPotter shuffled his Sweden deck during its 1-1 draw with Japan, starting the Aston Villa centre back in midfield ‌before moving him back to defence.“This is for many the first tournament with a tough journey to get as far as here,” said Lindelof.“This is our World Cup adventure that’s at stake and we don’t want that to end.”Potter divulged little of his ‌plans for Tuesday’s lineup during a pre-match press conference. Asked where he saw weaknesses to exploit in the France defence, the former Chelsea and West Ham ⁠United manager declined to entertain the idea that any ⁠weakness exists at all.“I’m not sure weakness is necessarily a word I would use to describe ‌this French side. They’ve got quality all over,” said Potter. “We have to play the game of our lives.”Published on Jun 30, 2026 #FIFA #World #Cup #Weaknesses #hard #find #France #defence #Sweden #coach #Potter

FIFA World Cup 2026: Weaknesses hard to find in France defence, says Sweden coach Potter
Sweden will need to produce the performance of a lifetime to topple World Cup powerhouses France in their round-of-32 ‌clash, coach Graham Potter said on Monday, as his young outfit prepare to face ⁠a side with “quality all over”.
Sweden squeaked into the tournament after a miserable qualifying campaign and will proudly wear the underdog ‌tag against France on Tuesday after an erratic group-stage campaign, where they beat Tunisia 5-1 ‌but lost to the Netherlands by the same ‌scoreline.
Kylian ⁠Mbappe-led France, which romped into the knockouts with ⁠three straight wins, is nearly unbeatable, according to former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Potter knows his side will need to produce something special.
“We have ‌to be as close to perfect as we can be,” Potter said. “We know the quality of the opponent and we have full respect for that.”
Sweden’s hopes ‌rest on a youthful squad with limited World Cup experience, anchored by veteran defender Victor Lindelof, who can also be utilised in ⁠midfield.
MATCH REPORT | Paraguay knocks Germany out of FIFA World Cup
Potter shuffled his Sweden deck during its 1-1 draw with Japan, starting the Aston Villa centre back in midfield ‌before moving him back to defence.
“This is for many the first tournament with a tough journey to get as far as here,” said Lindelof.
“This is our World Cup adventure that’s at stake and we don’t want that to end.”
Potter divulged little of his ‌plans for Tuesday’s lineup during a pre-match press conference. Asked where he saw weaknesses to exploit in the France defence, the former Chelsea and West Ham ⁠United manager declined to entertain the idea that any ⁠weakness exists at all.
“I’m not sure weakness is necessarily a word I would use to describe ‌this French side. They’ve got quality all over,” said Potter. “We have to play the game of our lives.”
Published on Jun 30, 2026
#FIFA #World #Cup #Weaknesses #hard #find #France #defence #Sweden #coach #Potter

Sports news FIFA 2026 football news, FIFA World Cup 2026, FIFA World Cup 2026 round-of-32, football coaching, football tactics, France defence, france national football team, Graham Potter, Graham Potter interview, international football, kylian mbappe, Sweden football team, Sweden vs France, World Cup match analysis, World Cup powerhouses June 30, 2026

Sweden will need to produce the performance of a lifetime to topple World Cup powerhouses France in their round-of-32 ‌clash, coach Graham Potter said on Monday, as his young outfit prepare to face ⁠a side with “quality all over”.

Sweden squeaked into the tournament after a miserable qualifying campaign and will proudly wear the underdog ‌tag against France on Tuesday after an erratic group-stage campaign, where they beat Tunisia 5-1 ‌but lost to the Netherlands by the same ‌scoreline.

Kylian ⁠Mbappe-led France, which romped into the knockouts with ⁠three straight wins, is nearly unbeatable, according to former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Potter knows his side will need to produce something special.

“We have ‌to be as close to perfect as we can be,” Potter said. “We know the quality of the opponent and we have full respect for that.”

Sweden’s hopes ‌rest on a youthful squad with limited World Cup experience, anchored by veteran defender Victor Lindelof, who can also be utilised in ⁠midfield.

MATCH REPORT | Paraguay knocks Germany out of FIFA World Cup

Potter shuffled his Sweden deck during its 1-1 draw with Japan, starting the Aston Villa centre back in midfield ‌before moving him back to defence.

“This is for many the first tournament with a tough journey to get as far as here,” said Lindelof.

“This is our World Cup adventure that’s at stake and we don’t want that to end.”

Potter divulged little of his ‌plans for Tuesday’s lineup during a pre-match press conference. Asked where he saw weaknesses to exploit in the France defence, the former Chelsea and West Ham ⁠United manager declined to entertain the idea that any ⁠weakness exists at all.

“I’m not sure weakness is necessarily a word I would use to describe ‌this French side. They’ve got quality all over,” said Potter. “We have to play the game of our lives.”

Published on Jun 30, 2026

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#FIFA #World #Cup #Weaknesses #hard #find #France #defence #Sweden #coach #Potter

Tag FIFA 2026 football news FIFA World Cup 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026 round-of-32 football coaching football tactics France defence france national football team Graham Potter Graham Potter interview international football kylian mbappe Sweden football team Sweden vs France World Cup match analysis World Cup powerhouses

व्यवहार और कार्यों की बदौलत व्यक्ति बनता है बेहतरीन लीडर, आईआईएम इंदौर में नए शैक्षणिक सत्र की शुरुआत

Deadspin | Braves, Cardinals ready to put disappointing June behind them Jun 28, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (27) leaves his feet to attempt to throw out San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers at first base during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images Two teams who have struggled throughout June will try to change their trajectory when the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Atlanta Braves for a three-game series that begins on Tuesday. Both teams are 3-7 over their last 10 games and will be happy to turn the calendar. The Braves are 9-13 in June and the Cardinals are 12-12 over the same time. Atlanta has seen its lead in the National League East, which was 10.5 games on May 22, dwindle to three games over the Philadelphia Phillies. St. Louis was 4.5 games behind the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers on May 31 but now trail by seven games and is just a half-game ahead of the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins in the race for the final wild-card spot. The series opener features a pair of left-handers, as St. Louis’ Matthew Liberatore (3-5, 5.56 ERA) faces Atlanta’s Martin Perez (6-4, 3.00). Atlanta has been in an offensive funk. During their current 4-12 skid, the Braves have been shut out twice and scored three or fewer runs 10 times. “Our sport is different than every other sport,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “We play virtually every day for seven months, so you’ve got to get past all that stuff. You’ve got to keep your head down and keep doing the work. These guys are doing the work, they’re doing all that stuff. We’ve just got to fight through it.” The strugglers are led by Austin Riley, who went 4-for-21 on the six-game West Coast road trip, saw his average fall to .209, and hasn’t homered since May 20. Ha-Seong Kim is on an 0-for-24 skid and is hitting .068. Drake Baldwin hit a home run in his first at-bat after coming off the injured list, but is 2-for-43 since his return and has seen his average fall from .303 to .255. The Cardinals have been equally puny at the plate. St. Louis scored only three runs in its three-game weekend series against Miami. “You look at the games, we’re successful, we come up with that key hit, that big hit and kind of keep it rolling,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “We haven’t been able to do that recently and that’s a big part of how we’ve gotten to this point.” Two Cardinals will try to rekindle their offense. Ivan Herrera (22 games) and Alec Burleson (career-long 25-games) had their on-base streaks end in Sunday’s 2-1 win which snapped a four-game losing streak. Rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt is coming off back-to-back multi-hit games, giving him 23 on the season. The Atlanta staff has been stabilized by the veteran Perez. With No. 2 starter Spencer Strider out for the foreseeable future, Perez has been a dependable arm. Since rejoining the rotation in mid-May, he is 4-2. He had a four-game winning streak end on Wednesday against San Diego when he gave up three runs in four innings, his shortest start of the season. Liberatore has struggled over his last four starts, going 0-2 with a 10.34 ERA in June. He was rocked by Arizona on Wednesday for six runs in 5 1/3 innings. This is the first meeting between the Braves and Cardinals this season. The Braves won the series 4-2 in 2025. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Braves #Cardinals #ready #put #disappointing #June

#Deadspin #Braves #Cardinals #ready #put #disappointing #June">

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Jun 28, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (27) leaves his feet to attempt to throw out San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers at first base during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Two teams who have struggled throughout June will try to change their trajectory when the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Atlanta Braves for a three-game series that begins on Tuesday.

Both teams are 3-7 over their last 10 games and will be happy to turn the calendar. The Braves are 9-13 in June and the Cardinals are 12-12 over the same time.

Atlanta has seen its lead in the National League East, which was 10.5 games on May 22, dwindle to three games over the Philadelphia Phillies.

St. Louis was 4.5 games behind the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers on May 31 but now trail by seven games and is just a half-game ahead of the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins in the race for the final wild-card spot.

The series opener features a pair of left-handers, as St. Louis’ Matthew Liberatore (3-5, 5.56 ERA) faces Atlanta’s Martin Perez (6-4, 3.00).

Atlanta has been in an offensive funk. During their current 4-12 skid, the Braves have been shut out twice and scored three or fewer runs 10 times.

“Our sport is different than every other sport,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “We play virtually every day for seven months, so you’ve got to get past all that stuff. You’ve got to keep your head down and keep doing the work. These guys are doing the work, they’re doing all that stuff. We’ve just got to fight through it.”

The strugglers are led by Austin Riley, who went 4-for-21 on the six-game West Coast road trip, saw his average fall to .209, and hasn’t homered since May 20. Ha-Seong Kim is on an 0-for-24 skid and is hitting .068. Drake Baldwin hit a home run in his first at-bat after coming off the injured list, but is 2-for-43 since his return and has seen his average fall from .303 to .255.

The Cardinals have been equally puny at the plate. St. Louis scored only three runs in its three-game weekend series against Miami.

“You look at the games, we’re successful, we come up with that key hit, that big hit and kind of keep it rolling,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “We haven’t been able to do that recently and that’s a big part of how we’ve gotten to this point.”

Two Cardinals will try to rekindle their offense. Ivan Herrera (22 games) and Alec Burleson (career-long 25-games) had their on-base streaks end in Sunday’s 2-1 win which snapped a four-game losing streak.

Rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt is coming off back-to-back multi-hit games, giving him 23 on the season.

The Atlanta staff has been stabilized by the veteran Perez. With No. 2 starter Spencer Strider out for the foreseeable future, Perez has been a dependable arm. Since rejoining the rotation in mid-May, he is 4-2. He had a four-game winning streak end on Wednesday against San Diego when he gave up three runs in four innings, his shortest start of the season.

Liberatore has struggled over his last four starts, going 0-2 with a 10.34 ERA in June. He was rocked by Arizona on Wednesday for six runs in 5 1/3 innings.

This is the first meeting between the Braves and Cardinals this season. The Braves won the series 4-2 in 2025.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Braves #Cardinals #ready #put #disappointing #June">Deadspin | Braves, Cardinals ready to put disappointing June behind them

Jun 28, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (27) leaves his feet to attempt to throw out San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers at first base during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Two teams who have struggled throughout June will try to change their trajectory when the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Atlanta Braves for a three-game series that begins on Tuesday.

Both teams are 3-7 over their last 10 games and will be happy to turn the calendar. The Braves are 9-13 in June and the Cardinals are 12-12 over the same time.

Atlanta has seen its lead in the National League East, which was 10.5 games on May 22, dwindle to three games over the Philadelphia Phillies.

St. Louis was 4.5 games behind the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers on May 31 but now trail by seven games and is just a half-game ahead of the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins in the race for the final wild-card spot.

The series opener features a pair of left-handers, as St. Louis’ Matthew Liberatore (3-5, 5.56 ERA) faces Atlanta’s Martin Perez (6-4, 3.00).

Atlanta has been in an offensive funk. During their current 4-12 skid, the Braves have been shut out twice and scored three or fewer runs 10 times.

“Our sport is different than every other sport,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “We play virtually every day for seven months, so you’ve got to get past all that stuff. You’ve got to keep your head down and keep doing the work. These guys are doing the work, they’re doing all that stuff. We’ve just got to fight through it.”

The strugglers are led by Austin Riley, who went 4-for-21 on the six-game West Coast road trip, saw his average fall to .209, and hasn’t homered since May 20. Ha-Seong Kim is on an 0-for-24 skid and is hitting .068. Drake Baldwin hit a home run in his first at-bat after coming off the injured list, but is 2-for-43 since his return and has seen his average fall from .303 to .255.

The Cardinals have been equally puny at the plate. St. Louis scored only three runs in its three-game weekend series against Miami.

“You look at the games, we’re successful, we come up with that key hit, that big hit and kind of keep it rolling,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “We haven’t been able to do that recently and that’s a big part of how we’ve gotten to this point.”

Two Cardinals will try to rekindle their offense. Ivan Herrera (22 games) and Alec Burleson (career-long 25-games) had their on-base streaks end in Sunday’s 2-1 win which snapped a four-game losing streak.

Rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt is coming off back-to-back multi-hit games, giving him 23 on the season.

The Atlanta staff has been stabilized by the veteran Perez. With No. 2 starter Spencer Strider out for the foreseeable future, Perez has been a dependable arm. Since rejoining the rotation in mid-May, he is 4-2. He had a four-game winning streak end on Wednesday against San Diego when he gave up three runs in four innings, his shortest start of the season.

Liberatore has struggled over his last four starts, going 0-2 with a 10.34 ERA in June. He was rocked by Arizona on Wednesday for six runs in 5 1/3 innings.

This is the first meeting between the Braves and Cardinals this season. The Braves won the series 4-2 in 2025.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Braves #Cardinals #ready #put #disappointing #June

Ja Morant’s name has been in NBA trade rumors for at least a year. Finally, the Memphis Grizzlies pulled the trigger on a deal no one could have seen coming.

The Portland Trail Blazers acquired Morant from Memphis for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, according to Shams Charania. The Blazers are reportedly set to start Morant and Damian Lillard in the backcourt next to Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan, with Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday, and Toumani Camara filling out the rotation. The Grizzlies start fresh for the Cam Boozer era by unloading Morant, who had been the troubled face of the franchise since he was selected No. 2 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Morant reportedly didn’t garner much trade interest, but the Blazers made a bold move to acquire him without giving up any draft capital or key rotation pieces. Let’s grade this trade for both sides.

Trail Blazers grade for Ja Morant trade

Morant’s star has fallen significantly after making back-to-back All-Star teams in 2022 and 2023, as well as Second-Team All-NBA in 2022. Morant was once one of the brightest young stars in the league, but injuries, off-court issues, and a significant drop-off in two-point scoring efficiency have diminished his production.

This feels like an odd fit. Portland already has Lillard coming back from a torn Achilles next season at age-36, and he was a terrible defender even before the injury. Morant is another small and weak defender. How are the Blazers going to be able to stop anyone in the backcourt if the plan is for Lillard and Morant to start together? While this lineup could suddenly have a lot of ball handling and playmaking, it’s worth noting that Avdija’s All-Star leap last season only happened in a heavy on-ball role. I don’t like taking the ball out of Avdija’s hands, and hate the defensive pairing of Lillard and Morant even with Clingan at the rim and Toumani Camara and Jrue Holiday on the wings.

Credit the Blazers for not really giving up anything. Grant was a bad contract, and his touches needed to go to other players this season. Grant had two years, $70.6 million remaining on his deal. Murray will be more enticing for Memphis, but he was only a depth wing in Portland. The Blazers got a former star in Morant who is still young at 26 years old. There’s upside in the deal for Portland if Morant can approach getting back to his old self.

Morant has two years, $87 million left on his deal. Even if this doesn’t work out, Portland could always trade him as an expiring contract next season.

It really feels like there’s another shoe to drop with the Blazers after this deal. I had Portland on my list of Jaylen Brown trade suitors, and they could make some sense as a Kawhi Leonard destination, too.

I can’t ding Portland too much for this trade because they didn’t really give anything up, and they also unloaded a bad asset in the process. I just don’t love the on-court fit here, and I see no world in which a Lillard and Morant backcourt is viable even in the short-term. Let’s see what Portland has up its sleeve next.

Grizzlies grade for Ja Morant trade

Memphis is Cam Boozer’s team now. I thought the No. 3 overall pick was by far the best prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft, and he’s going to be the face of the franchise with Morant out of the way. This return shows just how little interest there was in Morant. Memphis probably didn’t want to take back Grant, but they didn’t have any other options without giving up assets in the deal. My guess is Grant is immediately available to anyone who wants him, otherwise he will be a buyout candidate a year from now. Murray projects as a backup wing if he can fix his three-point shot. He’s only shot 25 percent from deep for his career.

This move is really all about addition by subtraction for Memphis. The Grizzlies have plenty of guards on the roster with Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., Walter Clayton Jr., Cam Spencer, and Javon Small. Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells can hold down the wing, while Boozer, Santi Aldama, Isaiah Stewart, and Zach Edey fortify the front court. If Boozer is as good as I think he’s going to be, Memphis will have a great young core in place. It didn’t need Morant messing with that.

Morant’s fall from grace in Memphis is just sad. The Grizzlies should have traded him sooner, but just getting off him at all right now is good work.

#Morant #trade #grades #Trail #Blazers #Grizzlies #surprising #deal">

Ja Morant trade grades for Trail Blazers, Grizzlies after surprising deal Ja Morant’s name has been in NBA trade rumors for at least a year. Finally, the Memphis Grizzlies pulled the trigger on a deal no one could have seen coming.The Portland Trail Blazers acquired Morant from Memphis for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, according to Shams Charania. The Blazers are reportedly set to start Morant and Damian Lillard in the backcourt next to Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan, with Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday, and Toumani Camara filling out the rotation. The Grizzlies start fresh for the Cam Boozer era by unloading Morant, who had been the troubled face of the franchise since he was selected No. 2 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.Morant reportedly didn’t garner much trade interest, but the Blazers made a bold move to acquire him without giving up any draft capital or key rotation pieces. Let’s grade this trade for both sides.Trail Blazers grade for Ja Morant tradeMorant’s star has fallen significantly after making back-to-back All-Star teams in 2022 and 2023, as well as Second-Team All-NBA in 2022. Morant was once one of the brightest young stars in the league, but injuries, off-court issues, and a significant drop-off in two-point scoring efficiency have diminished his production.This feels like an odd fit. Portland already has Lillard coming back from a torn Achilles next season at age-36, and he was a terrible defender even before the injury. Morant is another small and weak defender. How are the Blazers going to be able to stop anyone in the backcourt if the plan is for Lillard and Morant to start together? While this lineup could suddenly have a lot of ball handling and playmaking, it’s worth noting that Avdija’s All-Star leap last season only happened in a heavy on-ball role. I don’t like taking the ball out of Avdija’s hands, and hate the defensive pairing of Lillard and Morant even with Clingan at the rim and Toumani Camara and Jrue Holiday on the wings.Credit the Blazers for not really giving up anything. Grant was a bad contract, and his touches needed to go to other players this season. Grant had two years, .6 million remaining on his deal. Murray will be more enticing for Memphis, but he was only a depth wing in Portland. The Blazers got a former star in Morant who is still young at 26 years old. There’s upside in the deal for Portland if Morant can approach getting back to his old self.Morant has two years, million left on his deal. Even if this doesn’t work out, Portland could always trade him as an expiring contract next season.It really feels like there’s another shoe to drop with the Blazers after this deal. I had Portland on my list of Jaylen Brown trade suitors, and they could make some sense as a Kawhi Leonard destination, too.I can’t ding Portland too much for this trade because they didn’t really give anything up, and they also unloaded a bad asset in the process. I just don’t love the on-court fit here, and I see no world in which a Lillard and Morant backcourt is viable even in the short-term. Let’s see what Portland has up its sleeve next.Grizzlies grade for Ja Morant tradeMemphis is Cam Boozer’s team now. I thought the No. 3 overall pick was by far the best prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft, and he’s going to be the face of the franchise with Morant out of the way. This return shows just how little interest there was in Morant. Memphis probably didn’t want to take back Grant, but they didn’t have any other options without giving up assets in the deal. My guess is Grant is immediately available to anyone who wants him, otherwise he will be a buyout candidate a year from now. Murray projects as a backup wing if he can fix his three-point shot. He’s only shot 25 percent from deep for his career.This move is really all about addition by subtraction for Memphis. The Grizzlies have plenty of guards on the roster with Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., Walter Clayton Jr., Cam Spencer, and Javon Small. Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells can hold down the wing, while Boozer, Santi Aldama, Isaiah Stewart, and Zach Edey fortify the front court. If Boozer is as good as I think he’s going to be, Memphis will have a great young core in place. It didn’t need Morant messing with that.Morant’s fall from grace in Memphis is just sad. The Grizzlies should have traded him sooner, but just getting off him at all right now is good work. #Morant #trade #grades #Trail #Blazers #Grizzlies #surprising #deal

mwasimuddin125 0

Ja Morant’s name has been in NBA trade rumors for at least a year. Finally, the Memphis Grizzlies pulled the trigger on a deal no one could have seen coming.
The Portland Trail Blazers acquired Morant from Memphis for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, according to Shams Charania. The Blazers are reportedly set to start Morant and Damian Lillard in the backcourt next to Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan, with Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday, and Toumani Camara filling out the rotation. The Grizzlies start fresh for the Cam Boozer era by unloading Morant, who had been the troubled face of the franchise since he was selected No. 2 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Morant reportedly didn’t garner much trade interest, but the Blazers made a bold move to acquire him without giving up any draft capital or key rotation pieces. Let’s grade this trade for both sides.
Trail Blazers grade for Ja Morant trade
Morant’s star has fallen significantly after making back-to-back All-Star teams in 2022 and 2023, as well as Second-Team All-NBA in 2022. Morant was once one of the brightest young stars in the league, but injuries, off-court issues, and a significant drop-off in two-point scoring efficiency have diminished his production.
This feels like an odd fit. Portland already has Lillard coming back from a torn Achilles next season at age-36, and he was a terrible defender even before the injury. Morant is another small and weak defender. How are the Blazers going to be able to stop anyone in the backcourt if the plan is for Lillard and Morant to start together? While this lineup could suddenly have a lot of ball handling and playmaking, it’s worth noting that Avdija’s All-Star leap last season only happened in a heavy on-ball role. I don’t like taking the ball out of Avdija’s hands, and hate the defensive pairing of Lillard and Morant even with Clingan at the rim and Toumani Camara and Jrue Holiday on the wings.
Credit the Blazers for not really giving up anything. Grant was a bad contract, and his touches needed to go to other players this season. Grant had two years, $70.6 million remaining on his deal. Murray will be more enticing for Memphis, but he was only a depth wing in Portland. The Blazers got a former star in Morant who is still young at 26 years old. There’s upside in the deal for Portland if Morant can approach getting back to his old self.
Morant has two years, $87 million left on his deal. Even if this doesn’t work out, Portland could always trade him as an expiring contract next season.
It really feels like there’s another shoe to drop with the Blazers after this deal. I had Portland on my list of Jaylen Brown trade suitors, and they could make some sense as a Kawhi Leonard destination, too.
I can’t ding Portland too much for this trade because they didn’t really give anything up, and they also unloaded a bad asset in the process. I just don’t love the on-court fit here, and I see no world in which a Lillard and Morant backcourt is viable even in the short-term. Let’s see what Portland has up its sleeve next.
Grizzlies grade for Ja Morant trade
Memphis is Cam Boozer’s team now. I thought the No. 3 overall pick was by far the best prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft, and he’s going to be the face of the franchise with Morant out of the way. This return shows just how little interest there was in Morant. Memphis probably didn’t want to take back Grant, but they didn’t have any other options without giving up assets in the deal. My guess is Grant is immediately available to anyone who wants him, otherwise he will be a buyout candidate a year from now. Murray projects as a backup wing if he can fix his three-point shot. He’s only shot 25 percent from deep for his career.
This move is really all about addition by subtraction for Memphis. The Grizzlies have plenty of guards on the roster with Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., Walter Clayton Jr., Cam Spencer, and Javon Small. Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells can hold down the wing, while Boozer, Santi Aldama, Isaiah Stewart, and Zach Edey fortify the front court. If Boozer is as good as I think he’s going to be, Memphis will have a great young core in place. It didn’t need Morant messing with that.
Morant’s fall from grace in Memphis is just sad. The Grizzlies should have traded him sooner, but just getting off him at all right now is good work.

#Morant #trade #grades #Trail #Blazers #Grizzlies #surprising #deal">Ja Morant trade grades for Trail Blazers, Grizzlies after surprising deal

Ja Morant’s name has been in NBA trade rumors for at least a year. Finally, the Memphis Grizzlies pulled the trigger on a deal no one could have seen coming.

Trail Blazers grade for Ja Morant trade

Morant has two years, $87 million left on his deal. Even if this doesn’t work out, Portland could always trade him as an expiring contract next season.