Portland Trail Blazers at Utah Jazz

Chris Haynes of NBA TV reported when the trade went down that the Trail Blazers had a Morant and Lillard backcourt pairing in mind, so it'll be interesting to see how the ball-handling responsibilities are divvied up in 2026-27 should they stick to that plan. Morant endured yet another injury-plagued campaign in 2025-26 with the Grizzlies, making just 20 appearances while shooting a career-low 41.0 percent from the floor and 23.5 percent from deep, and he's reached the 60-game mark just one time over his past five seasons. With plenty of questions surrounding his fit in his new digs, the dynamic 27-year-old point guard is shaping up as a difficult fantasy player to rank as a high-risk, high-reward gamble in the second half of drafts.

It's a tough blow to the Trail Blazers' depth on the wing ahead of training camp. Sharpe, who is now likely to be sidelined until after the All-Star break, had been ticketed for a reserve role behind Toumani Camara following an injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign, which saw average a career-high 20.8 points, 1.4 steals and 2.1 three-pointers per game over 50 regular-season appearances. The door is now open for Vit Krejci and Jeremy Sochan to compete for bench minutes during camp.

Jackson was traded from Memphis to Utah in February, though he appeared in only three regular-season games for the Jazz before undergoing surgery due to a growth in his left knee. The 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year will look to make his presence felt on that end of the floor and anchor a now Kessler-less Jazz frontcourt. Jackson's two-way production will be crucial for a Utah team that's looking to return to playoff contention, and he hasn't averaged fewer than 18.6 points per game since the 2021-22 campaign, when he averaged 16.3 points per tilt for the Grizzlies.

Alexander was taken off the court on a stretcher in Monday's 80-63 win over the Bulls due to a left rib contusion, and Utah is taking a cautious approach in its Summer League finale. The two-way player has plenty of time to recuperate ahead of training camp in the fall.