NBA2026-10-30Cameron Boozer's First Triple-Double Keeps the Grizzlies Unbeaten as Ja Morant Leaves His Return to Face Memphis With a Hamstring Injury
By Verdexed NBA Desk
Cameron Boozer recorded the first triple-double of his NBA career on Thursday night, finishing with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in 28 minutes as the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Portland Trail Blazers 124-103. Field Level Media noted that the No. 3 pick in the 2026 draft became the second-youngest player in league history to post a triple-double. Memphis is 5-0, one of only two unbeaten teams along with Houston, and finished a 4-0 road trip.
The night was overshadowed in Portland by Ja Morant's exit. In his first game against the team that traded him, Morant scored 14 points with three assists in 23 minutes before leaving in the fourth quarter with a left hamstring injury. The Blazers ruled him out for the rest of the night, and coach Micah Nori said Morant felt a twinge and would be evaluated by the medical staff on Friday.
How Memphis pulled away
The game was tied 58-58 at halftime. Memphis broke it open with a 10-0 run in the third quarter and led 91-83 entering the fourth. A Zach Edey three-pointer pushed the margin to 96-85, Morant helped cut the deficit to nine before he went down, and Ty Jerome answered with consecutive baskets to make it 101-89. Deni Avdija led Portland with 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Here are the lines that matter for fantasy:
| Player | Team | Line |
|---|---|---|
| Cameron Boozer | MEM | 18 pts, 12 reb, 12 ast in 28 min |
| Deni Avdija | POR | 24 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast |
| Ja Morant | POR | 14 pts, 3 ast in 23 min (hamstring) |
Boozer is already a fantasy cornerstone
Boozer's profile is the rare one that translates to every fantasy format. Reports through his first few games had him around 16 points, 11 to 12 rebounds and five to six assists per game, and Thursday's line was the logical extension of that. A power forward who rebounds and passes at this level is a category-league monster, and the assists make him unusually valuable in points leagues for a frontcourt player.
The context supports it. Memphis is winning, his minutes are secure, and the Grizzlies are running offense through him in a way most rookies never see. He is not a sell-high candidate; he is a hold, and in dynasty formats he is a top-tier asset.
The one area to watch is minutes. Twenty-eight minutes in a 21-point win suggests Memphis is comfortable managing his workload in blowouts, which caps the ceiling on some nights. In tight games, expect more.
Morant's hamstring and the Portland backcourt
Morant's hamstring is the bigger fantasy question. The Blazers have not offered a timeline, and RotoWire suggested he be considered questionable for Saturday's game at Utah until further notice. Hamstring strains vary widely; a mild one can mean a game or two, while anything more significant can cost weeks, as Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton is finding out this week.
Portland's backcourt is crowded, which is both a cushion and a complication. Damian Lillard and Morant have been starting together, Jrue Holiday has played as the sixth man, and Scoot Henderson has been part of the rotation. Shaedon Sharpe is out recovering from knee surgery. Holiday scored 22 points in 30 minutes in Wednesday's win over the Lakers, which shows what he can produce with a bigger role.
If Morant misses time:
Jrue Holiday is the most direct beneficiary, moving into a starting role with more ball-handling. He is a must-add in leagues where he is available.
Scoot Henderson gains minutes and usage as the backup point guard, and he becomes a speculative pickup in deeper leagues.
Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija see more creation duties, which should lift their assists.
The Memphis side
The Grizzlies' 5-0 start is not just Boozer. Zach Edey is a nightly double-double threat at center, and Ty Jerome has provided secondary scoring, as he showed in the fourth quarter. A team winning this consistently tends to have stable minutes for its rotation players, which makes Memphis' role players safer weekly starts than those on rebuilding teams.
The Verdexed angle
Unbeaten starts attract attention, and the market tends to catch up quickly on teams like Memphis. The value is often in the spots where the public overcorrects, such as the Grizzlies as heavy favorites on the second night of a back-to-back. On the Portland side, the market will react to Morant's status, but the Blazers' backcourt depth means the true drop-off is smaller than his name suggests.
The model's daily calls are on the NBA picks pages, today at /blog/nba-picks-2026-10-30, with the full board at /nba/predictions.
What to do in your league
Start Cameron Boozer everywhere and treat him as a top fantasy forward. Hold Morant pending Friday's evaluation; do not drop him for a hamstring with no timeline. Add Jrue Holiday now as the immediate replacement. Consider Scoot Henderson in deeper leagues. And watch Portland's injury report before Saturday's game at Utah.