The Portland Trail Blazers’ first three weeks of the 2026-27 regular season have brought a little of everything, but the early returns lean more positive than not. Wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers have helped set that tone, and the bigger takeaway is that a handful of players have already outperformed expectations.
That said, not everyone has come out of the gate cleanly. A few Blazers have seen their value dip, while others are making themselves harder to ignore by the week. With that in mind, here’s a look at the biggest stock movers from Portland’s hot start.
Scoot Henderson was supposed to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of this setup, with the Blazers’ loaded backcourt easing some of the pressure on him. Instead, the early stretch has been rough.
He’s shooting just 31.5 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from three, and the rest of his line hasn’t offered much cover. Henderson is averaging a disappointing 2.5 assists per 36 minutes, and he hasn’t been able to use his size and athleticism to make a real impact on defense.
Right now, he hasn’t given Portland much reason to rethink last summer’s decision not to extend him. It feels strange to even say it, but is he that much better than a minimum-contract guard like Bronny James?
Vit Krejci’s situation has gone the other direction too. Portland’s trade-deadline acquisition brought some buzz because he was expected to be one of the team’s most reliable floor-spacers.
Instead, he has hit just 28.8 percent of his three-pointers in 26 games with Rip City. That’s a tough number to ignore, and now his ankle surgery makes the picture even murkier.
He’ll be out for at least eight weeks, which only complicates any possible trade plans.
On the other side of the ledger, Deni Avdija has looked every bit like the player Portland wants to build around. Any worry that Damian Lillard and Ja Morant might cramp his style hasn’t shown up on the floor.
Avdija has handled the shared spotlight just fine, and that matters if the Blazers are trying to find him a long-term running mate. He’s not just the team’s best player; he’s also shown that the offense should run through him.
Even better for Portland, he’s done that while staying solid defensively and showing impressive leadership.
Toumani Camara has also boosted his standing. Avdija may be the clear top asset, but Camara has a real case for being next in line.
If he were on the market, plenty of teams would be interested, and Portland has every reason to keep him in-house. He’s become one of the league’s premier 3-and-D players, which is exactly the kind of profile that gets noticed fast.
Donovan Clingan is making a strong case as well. Elite big men are hard to find, and Portland may already have one with the potential to hang with the best centers in the league.
Clingan has been a steady force inside, ranking ninth in average rebounds and fourth in average blocks this season. And there’s another eyebrow-raiser: 11 games into the regular season, he leads all Blazers rotation players in 3-point shooting percentage at 45.5 percent.
Sidy Cissoko has quietly turned into one of the more useful answers on the roster. Portland’s depth has been a problem in past seasons, and wing depth was a concern entering this year too.
Cissoko has helped ease that pressure with solid two-way play off the bench. The 22-year-old swingman has now been pushed into the injured Morant’s starting spot after Henderson struggled there, and in his two starts he averaged 18.0 points and 3.5 3-pointers per game.
Those came in the back-to-back wins over the Thunder, which only adds to the appeal. With free agency coming next offseason, Portland may not be the only team interested in a versatile 3-and-D wing.
Damian Lillard rounds out the risers. He turned 36 last July and missed the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, so the expectations were naturally tempered.
Even so, he’s shown more burst than many probably expected. His shooting has been uneven at times, but the encouraging part is that his downhill attack and rim pressure are still very much part of his game.
There are still two big unknowns hanging over the roster: Shaedon Sharpe and Morant. Sharpe has yet to appear this season, while Morant has missed the last six games.
Until they’re back on the floor, it’s hard to fully judge where their stock stands. Morant’s absence stings in particular, because he had already started to find his rhythm in Portland before the left hamstring strain surfaced.
It’s also worth noting that he hasn’t played more than six straight games since the 2022-23 campaign.
For now, the Blazers will keep sorting through the positives, the concerns, and the uncertainty. But early on, the biggest story is clear: several players have already moved their stock in the right direction, and a few others have a lot of work left to do.
In Other News...
Blazers Trade Talk Around Scoot Just Got More Serious
Scoot Hendersons uneven start has only kept the conversation around Portlands backcourt moving, and now the speculation has widened into something more concrete. The idea floating around is a swap with Charlotte that would send Henderson one way and Naz Reid the other, a deal built around two players whose seasons have gone in very different directions so far.
For Portland, the appeal is easy to see: Hendersons talent is still part of the long-term picture, but the early returns have made every roster question feel bigger. Reids strong play has only sharpened the comparison, and while nothing official has been reported, the mere fact that this kind of trade is being discussed says plenty about where the Blazers are in sorting out their direction. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Suddenly Have A Depth Problem Joe Cronin Can't Ignore
The early-season injury pileup has left Portland searching for answers on the wing, and general manager Joe Cronin is already looking for help. With Vit Krejci sidelined by an ankle fracture, the Trail Blazers already thin rotation on the perimeter has gotten even harder to manage, forcing the front office to confront a problem that was easy to see coming but now feels urgent.
The roster has been stretched by injuries across the board, with the absences of players such as Krejci, Ja Morant, Shaedon Sharpe and Chris Youngblood exposing just how little margin Portland has at the position. Trade possibilities are already being weighed, including options with the Los Angeles Clippers, but the bigger issue is straightforward: the Blazers need another wing, and they need one before the lack of depth starts dictating how they can play. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Have One Chance To Silence Doubts In Sacramento
The early-season buzz around Portland has shifted quickly, and with an 8-3 start the Trail Blazers have gone from curiosity to a team people are starting to mention in the playoff conversation. Wins have helped change the tone around this group, and the mix of established talent and rising contributors has given the roster a more credible look than many expected this soon.
Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday have provided the kind of backbone that keeps Portland steady, while younger pieces like Toumani Camara and Sidy Cissoko have added to the sense that this start is not just a hot streak. Still, the Blazers know perception in the NBA can turn fast, and the trip to Sacramento offers a chance to keep building that case against a familiar Western Conference test. [Read more 🡒]