The effect of transition metal ion exchange into UZM-9 zeolite with LTA framework on its deactivation in methanol-to-olefin (MTO) conversion was discussed. The ion exchange of copper, cobalt, nickel, and iron did not induce any notable change in the crystallinity, crystal morphology, and acidity of UZM-9. The small cage entrance of UZM-9 caused the high selectivity to lower olefins in the MTO conversion, while its large cages allowed the rapid further cyclecondensation of active intermediates, polymethylbenzenes including hexamethylbenzene, resulting in a rapid deactivation. The UZM-9 containing copper and cobalt ions showed considerably slow deactivations. The interaction between transition metal ions and polymethylbenzene cation radicals, the active intermediates, generated in the MTO conversion stabilized the radicals and slowed down the deactivation of UZM-9.