The Portland Trail Blazers are only days from opening the 2026-27 season, and they’ll do it at home against the Phoenix Suns.
Portland is trying to get back to the playoffs after ending a five-year drought last season, but this year comes with a different kind of pressure. The Blazers changed things at point guard and made a coaching change in the offseason, giving them a shot to push further than they did a year ago. The real question is whether those moves solve anything or just create a new set of problems.
The headline addition was the trade for Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies. On paper, the fit is messy.
Morant is now in a rotation that also includes Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, and Jrue Holiday, which is a crowded runway for any guard. But if Portland can get anything close to Morant’s peak form, when he was one of the league’s best players, the Blazers suddenly look a lot more dangerous in the Western Conference.
That still leaves Morant with an adjustment to make. He may not have the same role he held over his first seven seasons in Memphis, and how well he handles that shift could shape everything else. If he finds a way to mesh with this group, Portland has a legitimate chance to become one of the conference’s better teams.
Then there’s Henderson, and his situation may be just as tricky. The fourth-year guard is entering the final season of his rookie contract, and the Morant deal only adds more uncertainty around him.
Henderson has had a strong training camp, and there’s enough reason to think a breakout season could be coming. Portland has had chances to move on from him before and kept him anyway, waiting for him to take that next step.
If he gives them real production this season, the Blazers will be dealing with a very different kind of decision when summer arrives.
But the most consequential issue might be off the court entirely. Portland is still negotiating with the city over a new arena deal for the Moda Center, where the team has played since 1995. The current lease runs through 2030, but only a few years remain on it.
City Council has already agreed to its terms and wants to begin talks with the Blazers. Portland will review them between now and December, when it will have the chance to amend the deal and try to reach an agreement. With relocation talk hanging around over the past couple of months, a new arena deal would shut that down.
New owner Tom Dundon has taken plenty of heat, but landing that deal could change the mood around the franchise fast. It would go a long way toward building goodwill with the fan base and could also calm some of the concerns inside the locker room.
In Other News...
Blazers Fans Just Got Another Reason To Worry About Portlands Future
Tom Dundon pushed back on reports suggesting he has discussed moving the Trail Blazers out of Portland, according to a statement reported by The Athletics Mike Vorkunov. The denial comes after sources said Dundon encountered resistance in those conversations and was advised by the league to keep the franchise in Portland, adding another layer of unease around a team already trying to settle in before the season.
On the floor, the Blazers have been busy reshaping the roster, including the trade for Ja Morant, as they turn toward their opener against the Phoenix Suns. But even with basketball back on the calendar, the off-court uncertainty lingers, and Portland fans now have one more ownership-related storyline to watch as the new season gets underway. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers May Have Already Shown How Theyll Unlock Ja Morant
A preseason look may have already offered a clue about how Portland plans to simplify things for Ja Morant, at least in the opening minutes. Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report pointed to a lineup that features Morant alongside Damian Lillard, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan, a group that would give the Blazers a very different kind of structure from the usual early-season guesswork.
The appeal is easy to see from Portlands side. Morant would have help around him defensively, more size behind him, and enough versatility on the wings to keep the floor organized while he attacks. It is still just a social media read based on preseason, not an official announcement, but it suggests the Blazers may already have a workable idea for how to get the most out of their newest headline guard. [Read more 🡒]
Deni Avdija Just Set The Tone For Portland's Biggest Test
With the season opener against the Suns looming, Portland has spent the preseason leaning into the kind of roster balance it hopes can carry it through tougher matchups. The Trail Blazers have multiple versatile ball handlers and frontcourt pieces to mix and match, and Deni Avdija has been at the center of that conversation after leading the team in scoring last season while also stressing chemistry and a sharper defensive edge.
Phoenix is the first real chance to see whether that approach translates once the games count. Portland knows it will have to make up for some backcourt size issues by crashing the boards together and using flexible lineups to cover for one another, which makes the early test as much about connected play as talent. Avdijas tone has suggested the Blazers believe those habits can travel, but the opener will show how ready they really are. [Read more 🡒]