The Blazers’ preseason has started to clarify a messy-looking backcourt, and the uncomfortable truth for Shaedon Sharpe is that the group may function better without him.
On paper, Portland’s guard mix seemed overloaded and awkward. In practice, the early signs point the other way. However the rotation is sorted out - and regardless of who opens games - the pieces are showing enough selflessness to make the arrangement work.
Ja Morant has already made his stance clear: he does not care whether he starts or comes off the bench so long as this team is winning games. He has embraced a smaller role than the one he held in Memphis, and his playmaking has already given the offense a noticeable lift.
Damian Lillard’s return remains a question, especially after his Achilles tear, and Scoot Henderson still has work to do as a creator. Even so, Henderson has found a useful off-ball lane by leaning into an emerging 3-and-D game.
Jrue Holiday may be the most important piece in making the whole thing click. His blend of unselfishness, versatility, two-way impact and championship experience is exactly why he has that championship experience in the first place. Portland’s first playoff trip in the rebuild came after adding Holiday, who continues to raise both the floor and the ceiling at age 36.
There are still concerns here, especially with defense and size across positions. But preseason has suggested those issues may not be as severe as they first appeared. Donovan Clingan just posted five blocks in 20 minutes against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, and the defense does not appear to dip much when Robert Williams III comes in for him.
The wing picture is thinner than ideal, but Portland at least has two-way options in Toumani Camara and Sidy Cissoko. Deni Avdija is expected to be better on defense too, especially after Micah Nori publicly called that area out and said he wants him back to defending the way he did with the Washington Wizards.
That’s where Sharpe’s situation gets tricky. The roster may look clunky at first glance, but the more you examine the parts, the more every other piece seems to have a clear job. Sharpe is harder to place, even when healthy.
His injury may have accidentally pushed Portland toward the answer it needed. If this group keeps working without him, Sharpe could wind up as the odd man out, even after the four-year extension he signed before last season.
There is no question about his talent. The question is whether a score-first guard who does not defend well and does not space the floor can scale in this setup. Henderson may simply be the better fit for that off-ball role, and the preseason is showing it.
If that continues once the games count, Portland may have to start thinking about Sharpe differently. At that point, the team would at least need to find out what the market would bring back for a high-upside guard whose fit no longer looks obvious.
In Other News...
Blazers Keep Winning But One Concern Still Stands Out
The Trail Blazers kept their preseason roll going with a 110-98 win over the Kings, moving to 3-0 while showing a few different ways they can win. Deni Avdija led Portland with 26 points, Damian Lillard added 14, and the Blazers leaned on their size and activity inside to take control of the paint even as the shot-making came and went. Sacramento was missing key players, but Portland still did enough to dictate the game from the middle.
What stood out just as much as the final margin was how the Blazers found their edge despite some clear rough spots. They were out-rebounded on the offensive glass and did not exactly light it up from the floor, but they still dominated the interior and outscored the Kings 54-22 in the paint. For a team trying to build habits early, that kind of physical advantage is a useful sign, even if the offense still has a way to go before it looks fully polished. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers TV Booth Suddenly Rests On One Crucial Short-Term Bet
The Trail Blazers broadcast booth has entered a rare period of uncertainty, with the franchise still sorting through how it wants to sound on game nights after the departure of longtime broadcaster Kevin Calabro and the brief, later rescinded hiring of Braiden Bell. Travis Demers is set to handle television play-by-play on a trial basis beginning with the 2026-27 NBA season, giving Portland a short-term answer while it continues to evaluate the setup.
For now, the organization appears open to a few different ways of bridging the gap at the start of the season, including other temporary voices or even a simulcast of Demers television call on radio. It is an unusual moment for a team that has long had a familiar broadcast identity, and the next step will say as much about the Blazers priorities as the man chosen to fill the chair. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Just Turned A Jerami Grant Problem Into A Risky Gamble
Jerami Grants long-term deal has lingered over Portland since the Blazers handed him a five-year, $160 million contract in 2023, a move that drew plenty of side-eye as the roster picture kept shifting around Damian Lillards exit. Once Lillard asked out, Grant quickly became part of the broader conversation about how the franchise would reset, and the front office has clearly been willing to keep taking swings rather than simply sit on past mistakes.
The latest one came with a real dose of risk, as Joe Cronin and owner Tom Dundon pushed forward on a deal for Ja Morant, a two-time All-Star, without surrendering draft picks but with Kris Murray going the other way. It is the kind of move that can change the direction of a franchise if it works, and the early signs suggest Portland believes the upside is worth the gamble, even if the long-term verdict on the Grant contract still hangs in the background. [Read more 🡒]