The Trail Blazers’ boldest move of the summer came with a built-in warning label. Trading for Ja Morant gave Portland a major talent boost without costing it any key pieces, but the fit comes with real questions attached, and the biggest one is simple: can Morant hold up?
That’s the worry Jeremy Brener raised in Sports Illustrated, and it starts with availability. Morant has appeared in only 79 of a possible 246 games over the last three seasons, a stretch defined by injuries and off-court incidents.
The talent has never been the issue. The concern is whether the high-flying guard can stay healthy and survive the daily grind of an NBA season.
An anonymous NBA scout put the fit bluntly to Brener.
“ You’ve got a bad defender who’s a small guard who can’t shoot, who physically is unfit, paired next to a small guard who’s a bad defender and who can shoot [in Damian Lillard ],” the scout said. “ Probably going to be tough.”
That’s the tightrope Portland now has to walk. The Blazers have three point guards who will need minutes next season in Morant, Lillard, and Scoot Henderson, and none of them are known as strong defenders. Micah Nori will have to sort through that logjam while also working Jrue Holiday into the mix and eventually folding Shaedon Sharpe back in after the young Canadian guard returns from injury in the second half of the season.
Portland also spent part of the summer shoring up its frontcourt depth. Micah Potter arrives after a career-best season with the Pacers, where he averaged 9.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game while shooting .515/.423/.842 on 3.6 three-point attempts a night.
Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reported that the 6-foot-9 big man can play either frontcourt spot, but the Blazers see him as a spacing power forward. Because he was claimed off waivers this summer, his contract stays unguaranteed until January, though Freeman expects him to land a backup big role as Portland keeps chasing shooting from multiple positions.
The Blazers also brought in Branden Carlson, a third-year center who spent the last two seasons with the Thunder. Freeman reported that the seven-footer isn’t expected to have a major role right away, especially with Robert Williams III already in line for a three-year extension, but Portland liked the mix Carlson brings: shooting upside, rim-running, and shot-blocking.
If Williams misses time, Carlson should get a look. He’ll also be in the mix for backup power forward minutes.
Away from the roster moves, Portland’s push for taxpayer support on Moda Center upgrades drew opposition. Sunrise PDX protested the effort, arguing the money should be directed toward schools, teachers, and help with an ongoing city worker negotiation, according to Noelle Crombie of The Oregonian. The remodel, which the NBA has stressed the need for, is expected to cost around $600MM.
“We are facing 20 school closures in Portland Public Schools while the city, the state, the county have just invested $365 million in Moda Center renovations to a billionaire while our schools are struggling,” said Alisha Chavez, president of the Portland Association of Teachers.
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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 🡒]
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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 🡒]
Blazers Still Havent Solved Scoot Hendersons Long Term Role
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What remains unsettled is how that importance will actually look on the floor. Portland still has not made a decision on Hendersons extension, and his usage could shift depending on roster movement and the health of teammates around him. After the improvement he showed down the stretch and into the playoffs, the Blazers are clearly invested in his growth, but the exact long-term fit is still a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]