The Portland Trail Blazers may have missed out on Nique Clifford, but another name has surfaced as a possible target: Kevin Porter Jr.
Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported that Portland and Miami are among the teams that have shown interest in Porter. Fischer wrote on X, “After Sacramento gained flexibility to add a point guard with today’s Nique Clifford trade to OKC, we can add Miami and Portland as teams who’ve shown interest in Kevin Porter Jr., per sources, along with the Kings and Nuggets,”
For Portland, the appeal is easy to see. Porter brings size, versatility and playmaking, the kind of bench shot creator who can help generate offense without needing everything run through him. That profile fits a team that wants to push in transition but can also score efficiently in the half court under first-year head coach Micah Nori.
The Blazers’ offense has leaned on five players who can make reads with the ball in their hands, and that balance was a big reason for the team’s fast start. Lately, though, injuries have stripped away some of that edge. Portland is now without three ball-handlers for an extended stretch after injuries to Ja Morant, Shaedon Sharpe and Vit Krejci.
That’s where Porter starts to look less like a luxury and more like a practical swing. At full strength, he might be a tricky fit as the 15th man on the bench because his game may not scale cleanly in that role.
But Portland is already using two-way players like Chris Youngblood for meaningful minutes, which says plenty about the current state of the roster. In that context, passing on a player with Porter’s offensive upside would be hard to justify.
The Blazers don’t exactly need a rescue act on offense. Nori’s group has been efficient. Still, the recent losses to the Lakers and Spurs, plus the back-to-back games against the Thunder, are a reminder that more talent never hurts.
This also fits the broader approach Portland has taken with distressed talent. The idea is to buy low on players who still have real ability, and the organization has built an environment that can support that kind of bet. The selflessness and mentorship of veterans such as Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday matter here, and Nori has shown he can sort through imperfect pieces and make them work together on offense.
Portland probably should have gone after Clifford for his wing versatility, especially after he went from Sacramento to OKC for just two second-round picks. But Porter may offer the higher ceiling if the Blazers can unlock him. With a roster spot open after waiving Jeremy Sochan before the season, the fit makes sense on paper.
In Other News...
Blazers Loss Stings Less After One Encouraging Backcourt Update
The loss to San Antonio was a rough one on the floor, with the Spurs rolling to a 125-103 win at Moda Center and handing Portland its second straight defeat, the first time this season the Blazers have dropped back-to-back games. Victor Wembanyama set the tone for the visitors with 29 points, seven rebounds and three assists in just 24 minutes, leaving Portland to sort through a lopsided night and the bigger-picture questions that come with it.
Still, there was at least one encouraging note for the Blazers' backcourt. Coach Micah Nori said injured point guard Ja Morant had a recent medical consultation that went well, and his return could come sooner than originally expected. For a team that needs stability and playmaking after a frustrating stretch, any sign that help is moving closer matters, even if the exact timeline remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Just Watched Another Smart Wing Move Pass Them By
A wing with some real long-term intrigue is on the move again, and this one will sting a little for teams still hunting for playable size on the perimeter. The Kings sent Nique Clifford to the Thunder for two second-round picks, a swap that underscores how quickly a young player can go from a draft asset to a movable piece when the fit and the minutes never quite line up.
For Portland, it is another reminder of how thin the market can get for smart, versatile wings once a player starts drawing attention around the league. Clifford had limited run in Sacramento this season, but he showed more productivity in his rookie year, which is part of why other teams had checked in on him. Now the Thunder get another developmental swing, while the Blazers are left watching a name they might have had reason to monitor land somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Homecoming Exposed A Problem Fans Know Too Well
The Moda Center homecoming turned into a rough reminder of how far the Trail Blazers still have to go, as San Antonio rolled to a 125-103 win and controlled the night almost from the moment the game settled in. Victor Wembanyama set the tone for the Spurs with 29 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while Deni Avdija led Portland with 15 points in a game where the home team never found a sustained answer.
The Spurs did most of their damage in the second and third quarters, stretching the margin to as many as 35 points and turning the fourth into little more than cleanup time. For Portland, the loss fit an all-too-familiar pattern for fans who have watched this team struggle to keep pace when an opponent starts dictating the game, and it leaves the bigger question hanging over nights like this: how quickly can the Blazers turn home court into something more than a backdrop for someone elses run? [Read more 🡒]