Ja Morant Reacts to Facing Grizzlies for 1st Time Since Blazers Trade, 'Not a Big Grudge Guy'

Ja Morant spent the first seven years of his NBA career with the Memphis Grizzlies and quickly established himself as one of the franchise's most beloved players.

But his final season with the team saw him at odds with the coaching staff, and he was ultimately traded to the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason.

On Thursday, he'll go up against his former team for the first time, and he won't be harboring any negative feelings.

"Nothing harsh from me for Memphis," Morant said, per The Athletic's Jason Quick. "At all."

Morant said that he's "not a big grudge guy," and the game against the Grizzlies will be "just another basketball game on the schedule." He added that he still keeps in touch with some of his former teammates and watches their games.

Morant specifically seemed to have disdain for head coach Tuomas Iisalo, earning a one-game suspension for comments made about him in November last year. But he seems to have left those feelings in the past.

"I'm cool with everybody over there," Morant said. "I don't got no hard feelings with nobody, unless they got it with me."

Morant and the Blazers are off to a 3-0 start, and he's putting up 16.3 points and 6.3 assists per game. But his former team is also thriving without him, as Memphis is 4-0 heading into the contest against Portland.