The Portland Trail Blazers have their 2026-27 training camp roster in place, and the first real look at Micah Nori’s team is almost here.
Portland opened camp on Sept. 29, and on Sunday afternoon the organization released its official roster. The group will work through Friday, Oct. 2, with Fan Fest set for Sunday, Oct. 4 at the Moda Center.
The roster includes the expected 15-man opening night group, plus three two-way players: Chris Youngblood, John Tonje and Jayson Kent.
This shapes up as one of the most important camps the Blazers have had in years, mostly because it is Nori’s first one at the helm. There are real decisions to sort through, and camp should start clearing up the picture.
The guard rotation is one of the biggest items to watch. Portland needs a more defined pecking order there, and the coming days should help settle it. Health will also be part of the conversation, with Damian Lillard and Ja Morant both coming off injuries and their condition worth monitoring closely.
Then there’s Scoot Henderson, who could be in line for a noticeable jump.
Up front, Yang Hansen is another player drawing plenty of attention after strong work in summer league and the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers. The question now is how ready he is for the NBA game. He’ll be competing with Micah Potter and Branden Carlson, and Nori should get a better sense of who can handle reserve minutes in the frontcourt.
What happens in camp will likely shape the lineups Portland uses in preseason.
The Blazers open preseason at home on Wednesday, Oct. 7, against the Golden State Warriors, then return to the Moda Center on Monday, Oct. 12 to face the London Lions.
Fan Fest will close out the week on Sunday, Oct. 4, beginning at 4 p.m. The free event will feature an open team scrimmage, along with interactive experiences for fans and appearances by Blaze, Doug and the BlazerDancers.
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