Portland Trail Blazers at Dallas Mavericks

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.

Head coach Dusty May didn't elaborate, only stating Aldama is dealing with a "nagging injury." The 2021 No. 30 overall pick had spent his entire career in Memphis before being traded to Dallas in July of 2026. In 278 regular-season games, including 82 starts, he averaged 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists over 23.4 minutes per contest. His shooting acumen will allow the Mavericks to stretch the floor, and his versatility enables him to man multiple positions while playing various roles. Aldama underwent knee surgery in March, and while it's unknown if that's still a concern, fantasy managers should continue monitoring his health throughout training camp.

Irving missed the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee, but he has been participating in pickup games during his ramp-up process. The 34-year-old last played in 2024-25, when he averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 36.1 minutes across 50 regular-season appearances. Ujiri's comments provide another positive sign that Irving is closing in on his return, though Dallas has yet to announce a definitive timeline.

Ujiri noted that Lively has progressed to shooting and is working toward running on the court, though Dallas intends to remain patient with the 22-year-old. Lively underwent right foot surgery in December after appearing in just seven regular-season games in 2025-26, averaging 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 blocks in 16.4 minutes per game. He has yet to be cleared for training camp, and his status for the beginning of the regular season remains uncertain.