The Ja Morant move may have grabbed the headlines, but for Portland, the bigger ripple could be what it does for Deni Avdija.
The Trail Blazers suddenly have a crowded backcourt, and that matters because it should give Avdija more room to grow into a fuller version of himself in 2026-27. He’s already one of the league’s most versatile players, bringing size, finishing, ball-handling, court vision and, now, shooting. The one area you’d still want to see sharpen is his defense, especially considering his physical tools.
That isn’t because his defensive ability has disappeared. It’s more about the load he’s been carrying.
In Washington, Avdija was viewed as more of a two-way piece. In Portland last season, the Blazers needed him to be a point forward because the backcourt kept getting hit by injuries, and that extra offensive responsibility came with a cost on the other end.
The result was an All-Star season, and Portland finally got the kind of lead option it has been hunting since Damian Lillard’s initial departure in 2023. But there was a tradeoff. Avdija often had to save his energy on defense, even if he was still giving serious effort there.
That kind of balancing act isn’t new in the NBA. The source of the idea is familiar: LeBron James has done it for years, with elite role players like Shane Battier taking on the toughest defensive assignments so James could carry more of the offense. Portland has at least one clear defensive anchor in Toumani Camara, but it doesn’t have a superstar on James’ level, and that gap showed in its first-round loss to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
Now the Blazers have taken a low-risk swing by adding Ja Morant, a former two-time All-Star, without giving up any draft capital. There’s no guarantee Morant gets back to that level, but even the possibility gives Portland another playmaker and lightens the burden on Avdija.
That leaves head coach Micah Nori with a real job: sorting out the offensive pecking order on a new-look roster. The best version of this group still seems to run through Avdija as the point forward, because that setup creates a matchup edge and forces defensive stress on opponents.
Portland can’t let its reshaped backcourt crowd out Avdija’s rise. He still needs to be a priority. But if Lillard can add more floor spacing and Morant can function as a secondary playmaking option, the Blazers may have found the kind of support that lets Avdija take the next step as a two-way star.
And if that happens, the defense could benefit too. With more playmaking around him, Portland may be able to lean harder into a defensive identity built on Donovan Clingan and Toumani Camara, both of whom are legitimate All-Defense candidates heading into the season. That kind of structure is what elite defenses usually have: stars who can impact both ends.
Avdija hasn’t quite gotten there yet on defense, but the Blazers may have set up a path for him to do it. That’s the overlooked upside in this surprising offseason.
In Other News...
Blazers Offseason Shakeup Puts Core Players In A Tough Spot
Portlands offseason took a sharp turn with the addition of a high-profile lead guard, and the ripple effects could be felt all the way down the roster. The move gives the Blazers a very different look in the backcourt and immediately changes the way the team will have to organize its minutes, touches and late-game possessions.
For players already trying to carve out a steady place, the new setup creates real uncertainty. Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday are among the names now facing a tougher path to the kind of role they had in mind, and the Blazers will have to sort out how much overlap they can afford as the roster settles in. Portland also kept some continuity by re-signing center Jabari Williams to a three-year extension, but the bigger question now is how the team balances its new arrival with the veterans and younger pieces already on hand. [Read more 🡒]
Trail Blazers Arena Deal Is Suddenly Riding On One Standoff
The Moda Center renovation talks have become one of the biggest off-court storylines around the Trail Blazers, with the State of Oregon, Multnomah County and the City of Portland lining up a public funding package aimed at modernizing the arena. City leaders have already approved the funding resolution, putting the framework in place for a deal that would keep the building on a path toward major upgrades.
What has slowed the process is a familiar kind of standoff: the teams ownership group, led by Tom Dundon, is pushing for public money without agreeing to the rent and in-lieu-of-tax payments the city wants attached. Negotiations are still active, but the clock is real, with December set as the deadline to finalize the agreements needed for the bond sales that would finance Oregons share. [Read more 🡒]