Ja Morant scores efficient 23 points vs. Lakers

As expected, the Trail Blazers started Wednesday with Morant and Damian Lillard in the backcourt. The Suns, who fell behind 17-0, weren’t the best test of the duo’s defense, but they played well. Morant committed just one turnover and looked comfortable running the show. Even with the modest point tally, this was an excellent opening night for Morant as he looks to get his career back on track in Portland.

Conflicting offseason reports noted that Morant could come off the bench, but the Blazers will play the pair of superstar guards together in Wednesday’s season opener against the Suns. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to this pairing and keep in mind that Portland may experiment with different lineups throughout the season.

Morant had a good night shooting the basketball, making 80 percent of his attempts and all three of his three-pointers. He finished with more turnovers (four) than assists (three), but fantasy managers likely know Morant will have some high-turnover nights. More importantly, he stays healthy, as the athletic point guard has had at least one extended absence throughout his career. Availability and efficiency concerns have hurt Morant’s ADP, as he’ll be more valuable to managers willing to punt turnovers.

Trail Blazers head coach Micah Nori has been toying with the starting lineup in the preseason, with Damian Lillard and Scoot Henderson starting in this game, while Morant and Jrue Holiday came off the bench. Morant was still productive, and it’s clear the four guards will all have a significant role. Morant and Holiday will reportedly start in their next preseason game, and the starting unit for opening night still hasn’t been decided.

Making his unofficial Trail Blazers debut, Morant logged 19 minutes and recorded five assists. By comparison, the other four starters combined for six helpers. He didn’t score much, but that shouldn’t concern fantasy managers. The concern is Morant’s availability, as managers should assume at least one extended injury absence. After appearing in at least 61 games in three of his first four seasons, Morant has played 79 games over the last three. That concern knocks him down most draft boards, regardless of league format.

The details from the reported six-team trade are still unfolding, but what’s already known is that Russell is heading to Memphis. The veteran guard had a tough 2025-26 season, playing just 26 total games with the Mavericks before being traded to the Wizards and never logging a minute for Washington. He’ll likely have a chance to play decent minutes for a Grizzlies team that recently traded away its superstar point guard, Ja Morant. If so, Russell could have some value in fantasy leagues this upcoming season.

The second overall pick in the 2019 draft, Morant’s time in Memphis has come to an end. While there were certainly high points, most notably his winning Rookie of the Year in 2020 and making two All-Star teams, the inability to stay healthy and off-court issues ultimately led the Grizzlies to seek a way to move on. Morant appeared in 20 games last season, averaging 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 three-pointers. With the Trail Blazers having Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday on the roster, it’s fair to wonder if this will be Morant’s final destination. He’ll likely need a move to a third team to protect his fantasy ceiling in 2026-27.

Appearing on ESPN Radio, Windhorst described Morant as “flagrantly available” in trade talks. The Grizzlies are determined to move Morant, who Windhorst says he can’t see playing for the organization again. Memphis has had difficulty finding a trade partner at the moment due to the two seasons left on Morant’s contract, which is viewed as a negative. At this point, the Grizzlies will likely have to take on a bad contract to move Morant.

Morant received a PRP injection to help with his recovery and is expected to make a fill recovery ahead of next season. He hasn’t played since Jan. 21, so this update isn’t surprising. Ty Jerome, Cam Spencer, Walter Clayton Jr. and Javon Small will continue to fill out the point guard minutes for the rest of the year.

This has Morant being re-evaluated around March 19, which means he will miss at least two months with this injury. There is a chance he returns shortly after, but this could be nearing the end of the fantasy playoffs in many leagues. Memphis still has plenty of depth at point guard, with Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., Cam Spencer and Walter Clayton Jr. also playing large roles with Morant out.