Ja Morant records five assists in preseason opener

POR Guard #1 Player Stats Ja Morant tallied eight points (3-of-8 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), two rebounds, five assists and two steals in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Warriors. 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. Who gained the most fantasy value this offseason? Eric Samulski and Noah Rubin break down the players who could benefit most from offseason moves, including Austin Reaves, Darius Garland, Payton Pritchard, Jusuf Nurkic and Kel’el Ware. Who gained the most fantasy value this offseason? 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Eric Samulski and Noah Rubin share why they predict a "monster season" for Giannis in Miami and a "usage bump" for Jayson Tatum while looking at some newly established stars at forward. Related Player News WAS Guard #28 Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players 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. POR Guard #12 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. MEM Guard #12 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. MEM Guard #12 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. MEM Guard #12 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. MEM Guard #12 Morant last appeared in a game on January 21, and the Grizzlies announced on Wednesday that he will be out at least two more weeks before being re-evaluated. The point guard is still dealing with discomfort in his left elbow, which is why he needs more rehab time. With Morant down, the Grizzlies will continue to rely on Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cam Spencer to handle the playmaking responsibilities. Jerome offers the highest fantasy ceiling of the three. MEM Guard #24 Spencer didn’t bring much to the table as a scorer on Monday, but he had the most productive night of his NBA career in the assist category. The second-year guard’s 14 assists were a career-high, and he committed just three turnovers. Spencer isn’t going to offer the scoring that Ja Morant brings to the table, but he is worth rostering as long as the Grizzlies’ starting point guard is out. Rostered in 30 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Spencer has been a seventh-round player over the past two weeks. MEM Guard #12 Morant suffered a UCL sprain in his left (non-shooting) elbow during Wednesday’s loss to the Hawks. The injury is expected to sideline the 26-year-old point guard for at least the next three weeks, at which point he’ll be reevaluated. Cam Spencer started in Morant’s place Friday and had 21 points and 11 assists, making him a legitimate fantasy option while Morant is out. MEM Guard-Forward #2 Iisalo also said Jerome needs to “build up over the next week or two,” but he is “very close.” Jerome has yet to make his debut for Memphis after injuring his calf in the preseason finale. He still may not return until closer to the All-Star break, but he will eventually fill out some of the backcourt minutes for the Grizzlies. However, it seems likely that Ja Morant will remain with Memphis for the rest of the season, so there isn’t much upside for Jerome unless there is an injury in front of him. MEM Guard #12 Due to a sprained UCL in his left (non-shooting) elbow, Morant will not play on Friday. Cam Spencer is the most likely replacement in the starting lineup, but there have been times when Vince Williams Jr. received the nod instead. Regardless of who head coach Tuomas Iisalo decides to go with, Spencer offers a considerably higher fantasy upside. Rotoworld My Favorites GSW Guard #26 Player Stats Personalize your Rotoworld feed by favoriting players Miles Kelly tallied 24 points (8-of-16 FGs, 2-of-4 FTs), seven rebounds, six assists, one block and six three-pointers in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Trail Blazers. Kelly, who spent some of his rookie campaign with the Mavericks on a two-way deal, is with the Warriors on an Exhibit 10 contract. His chances of making the team’s Opening Night roster are slim, but a night like Wednesday doesn’t hurt. He shot 6-of-11 from beyond the arc and led all scorers with 24 points while also providing solid value in rebounds and assists. Don’t be surprised if the Warriors look to keep Kelly with their G League affiliate this season. GSW Forward #21 Player Stats Dalen Terry finished Wednesday’s exhibition against the Trail Blazers with 23 points (9-of-18 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), eight rebounds, nine assists, four steals, and four three-pointers. With Wednesday’s game being their second in as many nights, the Warriors rested most of their available rotation players. Among those who benefited was Terry, who is in the Warriors’ training camp on an Exhibit 10 deal. Logging 43 minutes, the former first-round pick recorded a stat line that would make many fantasy managers ecstatic. However, while this was an excellent night for Terry, he still faces long odds to make the Warriors’ Opening Night roster. GSW Guard #3 Player Stats Will Richard amassed 15 points (3-of-7 FGs, 6-of-6 FTs), three rebounds, one steal and three three-pointers in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Trail Blazers. As a rookie, Richard averaged 20.0 minutes per appearance and shot 33.5 percent from beyond the arc. With Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody both out recovering from knee injuries, Richard will have opportunities to earn more playing time. He started against the Trail Blazers, as the Warriors rested many key contributors in the second game of a back-to-back. Despite his showing in Portland, Richard isn’t a must-draft player, especially in 12-team formats. GSW Guard #12 Player Stats Brandon Williams tallied 17 points (7-of-11 FGs, 2-of-4 FTs), three rebounds, four assists, one steal and one three-pointer in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Trail Blazers. With the Warriors playing their second game in as many nights, most of the players expected to log consistent rotation minutes were held out. That opened the door for Williams, who scored 17 points in 18 minutes. He earned consistent minutes in Dallas last season, and a performance like Wednesday’s can go a long way toward solidifying Williams’ immediate future with the Warriors. If he’s on the Opening Night roster, $1.4 million of Williams’ contract will be guaranteed. The rest would be guaranteed if he’s on the roster on January 10. POR Center-Forward #35 Player Stats Robert Williams III notched eight points (4-of-5 FGs), five rebounds, one assist, one steal and five blocks in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Warriors. With Donovan Clingan on the roster, Williams is locked into the backup center role. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t provide good value, especially for managers punting points or free-throw percentage. Against the Warriors, Williams was an excellent rim protector and already appears to have established good on-court chemistry with Ja Morant. With an ADP outside the first 100 picks, the Time Lord can be a fantasy surprise, especially if injury restrictions aren’t the issue they’ve been in past years. POR Guard #5 Player Stats Jrue Holiday finished Wednesday’s exhibition against the Warriors with five points (2-of-8 FGs), seven rebounds, five assists, one steal and one three-pointer. Holiday came off the bench in Wednesday’s preseason opener, as expected. The good news for fantasy managers is that the veteran guard still provided positive value in rebounds and assists. Coming off the bench does lower Holiday’s fantasy ceiling considerably, pushing his ADP outside the first 100 picks in 12-team leagues. He’ll be worth a look for managers hoping to add a “safer” option in the latter rounds of drafts. POR Center #23 Player Stats Donovan Clingan recorded three points (1-of-7 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one blocked shot in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Warriors. Clingan didn’t shoot the ball well on Wednesday, but he was active as a rebounder and defender. And, truth be told, those are the areas where fantasy managers expect to receive value if they draft the former UConn center. Last season, Clingan provided third-round per-game value in nine-cat formats and was an excellent option for managers punting either points or free-throw percentage. That’s unlikely to change this season, especially with Portland adding Damian Lillard and Ja Morant to the rotation. POR Guard #1 Player Stats Ja Morant tallied eight points (3-of-8 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), two rebounds, five assists and two steals in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Warriors. 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. POR Forward #8 Player Stats Deni Avdija amassed 23 points (9-of-13 FGs, 2-of-4 FTs), two rebounds, two assists and three three-pointers in Wednesday’s exhibition against the Warriors. With Damian Lillard and Ja Morant in the fold, questions arose this offseason about how that would affect Avdija’s usage. Coming off the best season of his NBA career, the Trail Blazers forward looked good in the team’s preseason opener. A 31.8 percent shooter from three last season, Avdija made three of his six attempts from beyond the arc and shot 6-of-7 from two. His usage of 30.2 was the highest among the Blazers starters, and he led the team in shot attempts. His assist output may take a hit this season because of the number of quality guards on Portland’s roster, but Avdija won’t lack scoring opportunities. POR Guard #0 Player Stats Damian Lillard finished Wednesday’s exhibition against the Warriors with 15 points (5-of-11 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), one rebound, one assist, two steals and three three-pointers. Appearing in a game for the first time since the 2025 NBA Playoffs, Lillard looked sharp in his 19 minutes. Coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon, he started alongside newcomer Ja Morant and did most of his work off the ball. Lillard will be a key figure for the Trail Blazers this season, but his assist production may take a slight hit with Morant’s arrival. That said, Lillard simply being on the court is a win for fantasy managers and basketball in general.