Damian Lillard is back in Portland, and the Blazers are about to find out what that looks like in 2026-2027.
The 36-year-old guard returns after missing last season while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Lillard has said he feels back to normal, but this won’t be a simple replay of the old Blazers era. There are new faces around him, new roles to sort through, and enough guard talent on the roster to give Portland a very different kind of backcourt balance.
What hasn’t changed is the shot. That’s the part that should matter most for a Blazers team that has been dreadful from deep without Lillard over the past three seasons.
He isn’t expected to suddenly lose the stroke that made him one of the league’s most dangerous perimeter scorers. In two seasons with Milwaukee, he shot 36.4 percent from three, including 37.6 percent in 2024-2025 before the injury.
Lillard himself doesn’t sound worried about where that part of his game stands. His offseason work has already drawn attention this summer, and he made it clear he still trusts the fit around him.
“If I get the ball and I'm advancing the ball ahead to Ja Morant, I feel pretty good about it. And if I'm advancing the ball to Denny Avdija, I feel good about it,” Lillard said. “And for both of those guys, if they are attacking the rim, attacking the paint, and they're kicking the ball out to me for a 3-pointer, I think they should feel great about that.”
That confidence carries over to the way he sees Portland’s guard rotation. With Morant more of a driver, Scoot Henderson coming off the bench, and Jrue Holiday handling more of an all-around role, Lillard believes there will still be room for him to get to his spots.
“One thing that I am is a smart basketball player, so I know how to play, but I know myself,” Lillard said. “Sitting out last season and watching, I was able to learn my teammates and I was able to kind of place myself in situations and positions that make sense on this team. And I kind of was able to program myself like ‘I got to be able to do this.’”
There’s also the reality of where he is in his career. Lillard has averaged 36.2 minutes per game over 14 seasons, but he doesn’t sound interested in chasing that kind of workload just for the sake of it. He said he feels normal, yet he also acknowledged that logging 35-plus minutes every night is no longer a necessity.
“At this stage, I don't think I need to kill myself in the regular season trying to play 37, 36, 35 minutes if it's unnecessary,” Lillard said. “We got a lot of guards, we got a lot of ability at the guard position and I don't think it should be necessary for me to have to play 35 minutes. But to answer (the) question, I'm definitely able to play however many minutes I need to play and I’m prepared to.”
Portland’s decision to bring in Morant also raised questions beyond basketball, given his issues in Memphis. General manager Joe Cronin said he is not among the people worried about that fit, and pointed to the environment around Morant as part of the reason.
“I also have a lot of faith in our environment and our ability to support (Morant),” Cronin said at media day. “Being around Dame Lillard and Jrue Holiday is a blessing that most players haven't been able to have. They'll be impactful for Ja in their leadership, in their friendship, in their mentorship.”
Lillard is still getting used to the idea that, outside of Shaedon Sharpe - who is out with a meniscus tear until at least February - he hasn’t played with anyone else on this roster before. But that also gives him a chance to build something new with a group that mostly came together after his departure.
Donovan Clingan already sees the upside.
“I'm excited, the attention he brings in the ball screen game, when he comes off a screen, if there's any space issue he’s shooting it and in my head every time it's going in,” Clingan said. “And guys are going to be aggressive with him, which opens up opportunities for me, which opens up opportunities for teammates.”
In Other News...
Branden Carlson Is Already Forcing His Way Into The Blazers Conversation
The Trail Blazers opened their first practice of the season with a few names already standing out, and Branden Carlson was among the most noticeable. The center brought strong offensive rebounding and plenty of energy to the floor, the kind of early workload that can help a player get noticed fast in camp, especially when the team is still sorting through what its rotation in the middle might look like.
Carlsons push comes at an interesting time for Portland, which is taking a hard look at its frontcourt depth while also tracking other camp themes like Toumani Camaras perimeter defense and Scoot Hendersons pace. The Blazers have options in the middle, and that makes every practice rep matter as they try to narrow down who fits where and how much room there really is for another big to break into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Scoot Henderson Just Entered A Crucial Season For The Blazers
Scoot Henderson came into the Trail Blazers 2026-27 media day with a different kind of spotlight than he had in his earlier seasons. The attention around him was quieter, but the message from the organization was clear enough: general manager Joe Cronin and head coach Micah Nori both sounded encouraged by where Henderson is in his development and by the way he finished last season.
This is shaping up to be an important camp for Henderson, who is expected to have a significant role in setting the tone early while also likely seeing fewer minutes once the season starts. With restricted free agency looming in 2027, his place in Portlands plans carries a little extra weight now, and the Blazers will be watching closely to see how he handles the next step. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Suddenly Have A Ja Morant Question They Cant Ignore
At Portland Trail Blazers media day, the backcourt picture was already looking crowded before the season even tips off. Micah Nori addressed a guard rotation that features Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday, and said the staff can get creative with how it fits the pieces together, including using Holiday more at forward to help manage minutes and keep the lineup flexible.
Morant added another layer to the conversation by making it clear his priority is winning, regardless of whether he starts or not. Nori acknowledged the possibility of Morant coming off the bench, which is the kind of rotation wrinkle that can shape a season long before the games start to matter. The Blazers may spend plenty of the early months experimenting with roles, and this one feels destined to be one of the bigger decisions they keep revisiting. [Read more 🡒]