The Portland Trail Blazers are heading into the 2026-27 season willing to see how this group looks before making another major move, even if that means living with a crowded backcourt after the Ja Morant deal.
That patience makes the stretch from October through February especially important. It will be the Blazers’ window to judge the roster, figure out how the new pieces work together and see whether the fit matches the talent. Portland has set a clear standard for the season: 50-plus wins and home-court advantage as a top-four seed in the Western Conference.
On paper, scoring and star power should not be the problem. Morant and Damian Lillard give the Blazers more than enough talent to pair with a group that already had enough skill to snap a four-year playoff drought. The bigger question is how all of it fits, and that is why a deadline trade would not come as a shock if general manager Joe Cronin decides the roster needs another shake-up.
One name that has already surfaced as a possible target is New Orleans Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III. Portland showed interest in him around last season’s deadline, and he still looks like the kind of player who could smooth out the edges of this roster.
New Orleans has been stubborn about its young core, valuing those players at a level that feels well above what you’d expect from a team that just finished 26-56 and tied the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 11 seed in the West. The Pelicans’ stance has been especially striking given how the conference has shifted. The West lost stars to the Eastern Conference this summer, including LeBron James’ move to the City of Brotherly Love, but it still figures to be deeper than it was a year ago.
There is also less incentive than ever for teams to fully bottom out. With lottery odds flattened as part of the league’s response to tanking, the calculus has changed. New Orleans probably should have read that reality last season, but there is a case for the Pelicans to step back in the short term if it helps them build toward something better later.
Murphy, who is 26, could still fit their timeline. The problem is that the ceiling looks limited if he has to be the focal point.
For Portland, though, he would slot into a far more natural role. He would give the Blazers another two-way wing and another 3-and-D option, much like Toumani Camara, while also bringing more shot creation than Camara provides.
That matters for a Portland team that needs wings who can help without monopolizing the offense. Murphy would give the Blazers another player defenses have to respect, which would help prevent opponents from overhelping on Deni Avdija. His skill set is exactly the kind of plug-and-play profile that works in almost any system, and it becomes even more appealing after the moves Portland has already made this offseason.
Nothing in the current picture says New Orleans is ready to move him now. Still, this is the kind of situation Portland should keep tracking, especially if the Pelicans drift out of the playoff race as the season unfolds.
In Other News...
Blazers Are Counting On Sidy Cissoko In A Risky Bigger Role
Portlands wing picture is suddenly a lot lighter than it was not long ago, and that has pushed some real responsibility onto the players still standing. Even with the roster churn, general manager Joe Cronin says he believes in the current group of wings, a vote of confidence that matters in a season where the Blazers have to patch together size, defense and shooting on the perimeter.
One of the clearest beneficiaries is Sidy Cissoko, who arrived as a two-way signing last year and turned that into a standard contract after starting 26 games. The expectation now is that he grows into a bigger 3-and-D role by the 2026-27 season, which is a lot to ask of a player still carving out his place, but also exactly the kind of internal development Portland needs if this thinner rotation is going to hold up. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Camp Is Already Testing Micah Noris New System
The early days of camp have already given Micah Nori a clear look at how much work remains in Portland, as the Trail Blazers spent Day 2 dealing with sloppier possessions and missed chances on the glass. The pace has been fast, the defensive pressure has been active, and both Ja Morant and Donovan Clingan have acknowledged the growing pains that come with trying to absorb a new system while the roster is still figuring itself out.
Morants adjustment is one of the more interesting parts of the experiment, with the guard spending more time away from the ball and showing better touch on his three-point shot during practice. Nori is also still sorting through different lineup combinations, which makes the next few weeks of exhibition play feel less like a tuneup and more like a live audition as the Blazers try to define what this version of the team is supposed to look like. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Preseason Could Reveal A Tense Backcourt Reality
The Trail Blazers are about to open a four-game preseason slate on Oct. 7, and it arrives with more curiosity than usual. Golden State, the London Lions and Sacramento are on the schedule, but the bigger draw is Portlands new look: Damian Lillard is back from injury, Ja Morant has arrived, and Micah Nori is getting his first chance to steer the group as head coach. For a team trying to find its footing quickly, these games should offer an early read on how the pieces fit.
Much of the attention will land on the backcourt, where the Blazers have a lot of talent and not a lot of time to sort out roles. Preseason is often where coaches test lineups and rotational ideas, and Portland has enough moving parts that even the early-minute distribution could matter. The frontcourt will be worth watching too, especially with Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen in the mix, because how they are handled can say plenty about how seriously the Blazers are treating these October reps. [Read more 🡒]