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On July 3rd Beijing time, Ja Morant is striving to reclaim his All-Star status and reshape his public image, and he will begin this new chapter by changing his jersey number. The Trail Blazers officially announced via social media today that their most crucial offseason acquisition will wear the number 1 jersey in Portland.

The 1.88-meter point guard will not wear number 12 for the first time in over a decade. He has consistently worn this number throughout high school, college, and his first seven NBA seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies. Morant's number 12 jersey has been retired at Crestwood High School and Murray State University.

It is currently unclear if Morant's number change signifies a fresh start and personal reinvention in Portland, or if his usual number 12 was simply unavailable. The last Trail Blazer to wear number 12 was LaMarcus Aldridge, who wore it for nine seasons before leaving as a free agent in the 2015 offseason.

The Trail Blazers acquired Morant in a trade, sending Jerami Grant and Chris Murray to the Grizzlies. The evaluation of this trade is mixed.

On the positive side, the Trail Blazers have acquired a two-time All-Star point guard with both playmaking and scoring abilities, perfectly aligning with the team's goal of taking the next step forward.

However, on the other side, Morant has not performed at an All-Star level since the 2022-23 season. Over the following three seasons, he played in only 79 games, with his career hindered by injuries, suspensions from two gun-related incidents, and conflicts with the Grizzlies' coaching staff.

He will become the 11th player in Trail Blazers history to wear the number 1 jersey, following players like Rod Strickland, Evan Turner, and Anfernee Simons. Last season, backup point guard Blake Wesley wore the number 1 jersey.