NBA Rumors: Ja Morant returns from hip injury for Grizzlies vs. Blazers | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant will return Monday night against the Portland Trail Blazers after missing eight games with a hip injury, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.

Morant suffered hip and pelvic muscle injuries in a Nov. 6 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Grizzlies announced three days later that Morant was being considered on a week-to-week basis after suffering a “posterior hip subluxation without dislocation” and “multiple associated Grade 1 pelvic muscle strains.”

Haynes previously reported following the Grizzlies’ announcement that Morant would be sidelined for “at least a week” due to the injury.

Morant left the game against the Lakers in the third quarter after landing awkwardly following an alley-oop attempt. The Grizzlies initially called his return doubtful due to a hamstring injury he suffered.

The 2024-25 season will be the second straight season in which the Grizzlies have lost Morant for an extended period of time. Due to a suspension and a season-ending shoulder injury, he only played nine games in the 2023–24 season.

The guard averaged 20.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 9.1 assists while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 25.8 percent from behind the arc through the first eight games of the season.

Morant has a career average of 22.4 points on 47.1 percent shooting from the field. He is in his second season of a five-year extension, his sixth season with the Grizzlies and his second since signing with Memphis in 2022.

His availability down the stretch will be key to Memphis’ hopes of reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2013. At the time of his most recent injury, the Grizzlies were 59-77 with the two-time All-Star on the sideline, according to StatMuse.