The Portland Trail Blazers have bigger things hanging over them than the next decision on Scoot Henderson. The most important extension conversation in the building belongs to Deni Avdija.
That’s the player who suddenly looks like the center of this rebuild, and general manager Joe Cronin made it clear at Blazers Media Day on Monday that Portland is already thinking through how to keep him around. Avdija becomes extension-eligible this offseason, on October 2nd, but the contract situation is not straightforward. Cronin said the team would likely need a renegotiation and extension because of the front-loaded structure of Avdija’s current deal.
"Definitely. It's something we spent a lot of time looking at," Cronin said.
"He becomes extension-eligible this offseason, and I think it's October 2nd. So you know, in a couple of weeks.
With the way his contract is structured, it's complicated. It's not just a normal extension.
So we would very likely need to do a renegotiation and extension, which would involve using cap room to do so. So just trying to time that out appropriately in order to best meet his and our needs in that extension.
But again, similar to Scoot, not concerned with our ability to get something done and really hope to do so in the next year or two."
That answer fit the tone of a lot of Cronin’s Media Day remarks: cautious, measured, and heavy on wait-and-see. To some degree, that’s understandable. Portland has a new-look roster, and nobody can say yet how the pieces will fit.
Still, the Blazers also just reached the postseason for the first time in this rebuild, snapping a four-year drought. They added more talent this offseason at a lower cost, but there’s no guarantee the group is good enough as currently built to chase the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference.
The bigger issue is how Portland handled the moment after Avdija broke through as its first All-Star since Damian Lillard. Instead of fully leaning into that development, the Blazers didn’t do enough to build around his game, especially on the shooting front. Avdija led the league in drives per game, and his style needs more spacing than Portland supplied.
The money side hasn’t exactly helped either. Cronin eventually moved Jerami Grant, whose five-year, $160 million deal had made him widely viewed as a negative asset in Portland. But rather than using that salary dump to carve out room for Avdija’s next contract, the Blazers added more money by taking a flyer on Morant.
There’s still time for Portland to sort it out before Avdija’s situation turns into a real problem. Cronin’s caution is defensible in that sense. But when you’ve finally found the first star this franchise has been hunting for, the bar for urgency should be higher.
That’s why “not concerned” works fine for Henderson, who profiles as a sixth- or seventh-option on this roster. It does not feel like enough for Avdija, who has become the face of the rebuild in a hurry. The Blazers needed to move faster this summer to make him the clear priority, and Cronin’s comments Monday only reinforced how much that opportunity has already slipped.
In Other News...
Blazers Overhaul Looks Exciting But One Roster Problem Still Lingers
The Blazers latest offseason swing has given the roster a far different look, and the appeal is obvious. Portland landed Ja Morant in a trade without having to part with any key pieces, then added frontcourt help in Micah Potter and Branden Carlson to give the bench a little more size and insurance. On paper, it is the kind of aggressive retool that can energize a team trying to climb back into relevance, especially with Damian Lillard still at the center of everything.
Still, the roster picture is not fully clean. Morant brings the sort of talent that changes expectations, but there are lingering questions about his health and how he fits defensively next to Lillard, and the Blazers cannot ignore either issue if they want the move to work. Off the floor, the franchise also remains under scrutiny as protests continue over taxpayer money going toward Moda Center renovations, with critics arguing those dollars should be redirected to local schools instead. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Camp Is About To Settle Portlands Biggest Roster Battles
The Trail Blazers have put together their official training camp roster for the 2026-27 season, giving the first clear look at the group that will spend the next few days trying to sort out the back end of the roster. Portland opens camp Sept. 29 and will keep the competition going through Oct. 2, with Fan Fest set for Oct. 4 at the Moda Center.
For a team still trying to answer some of its biggest personnel questions, this is the stretch where small decisions can carry real weight. The Blazers get just a short runway before the first preseason games arrive on Oct. 7 and Oct. 12, so every practice rep matters as the club starts separating the players who fit from the ones who may not be long for the final group. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Suddenly Face A Ja Morant Question Fans Cant Ignore
The Blazers backcourt picture changed fast enough to make the rest of the league do a double take, and Joe Cronins confidence in Ja Morant is now part of the conversation in Portland. Morant arrives after missing much of last season because of injury, but the front office clearly believes the talent is still there, even as the roster already has Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe all looking for touches and minutes.
Morant has talked about being focused on winning no matter what his role ends up being, which is the right message for a team trying to sort out a crowded guard room. The bigger question for Portland is how all of those pieces fit together once the games start mattering, because talent is not the issue here so much as who ends up where in the hierarchy. [Read more 🡒]