The Portland Trail Blazers’ 2026-27 season is going to hinge on one thing above all else: how fast this new starting five clicks.
That matters because Portland didn’t just make a move - it made a statement. By landing Ja Morant, the Blazers shifted their own ceiling in a major way and put themselves in the conversation for a top 5 seed in the West. What makes the swing even bigger is that Portland pulled it off without giving up any members of the young core it had already built.
Of course, talent on paper only gets you so far. For this group, the real story is the set of questions hanging over each projected starter.
Morant sits at the center of it all. His health, his fit, and whether he can get back to his best form will shape how far Portland can go in the playoffs.
The Blazers are banking on the version of Morant who can pressure the rim over and over while also functioning as an elite playmaker. If he gets through the season healthy and looks like himself again, that changes everything for the franchise.
Damian Lillard brings a different kind of question. For the first time in his career, he won’t be the unquestioned focal point of the backcourt. That role shift isn’t entirely new territory - when Lillard went to Milwaukee, he adjusted well to not being the top option, averaging just under 25 points per game alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo on the Milwaukee Bucks.
Now, though, he’s back after more than a year away because of an achilles injury, and at 36 he’s being asked to work next to Morant rather than run the show. If Lillard can embrace that setup and keep doing damage as an elite shooter, Portland could end up with one of the scariest backcourt duos in the league.
Deni Avdija is another player with a lot riding on this season. He has become a major part of Portland’s young core, but this year is a chance for him to show he belongs in the long-term plan.
Avdija has already proven he can defend multiple positions, rebound, and create for teammates. He’s also shown he can score when he gets enough touches.
The catch is that Morant’s arrival likely means fewer of those chances. So the challenge for Avdija is pretty clear: improve his offensive efficiency without losing the other parts of his game that have made him valuable. If he does that, the Blazers will have a tough time not locking him in with a sizable contract extension.
Toumani Camara has already carved out his place as one of Portland’s most reliable defenders. He can handle multiple positions and has shown he can stand up to some of the NBA’s best offensive players. His role alongside Portland’s scoring talent is not in doubt.
What remains open is how much more he can add on offense. Camara averaged 13.4 points per game while shooting 37 percent from 3-point range and 44 percent from the field. Like Avdija, he’s probably headed for fewer shots next season, but Portland would love to see him keep sharpening his jumper and become more efficient with Morant and Lillard around him.
Then there’s Donovan Clingan, who may be one of the most important pieces in Portland’s future. His size and defensive ability already make him look like a frontcourt fixture for years.
The issue now is consistency. Staying out of foul trouble and handling the demands of being a full-time starter will go a long way toward determining how quickly he grows into the job.
Clingan led the NBA with 4.5 offensive rebounds per game in just over 27 minutes per game last year. And with him only entering his age-22 season, there’s plenty of room for that rise to keep going.
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Matas Buzelis Just Picked An Unexpected Blueprint For His Next Leap
Matas Buzelis has already taken a noticeable step forward in his second NBA season, turning a promising rookie-year profile into something far more productive for the Bulls. The 2024 draft pick averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 blocks over 77 games, and now he is spending the offseason trying to make that growth look more sustainable by adding strength and changing how he gets his points.
On a recent podcast, Buzelis said he wants to be more physical, attack the rim more and stop settling for so many three-point attempts. He also mentioned plans to work out with Deni Avdija, a sign he is looking beyond simple skill work and toward a broader blueprint for how to bend his game toward the kind of downhill, contact-heavy style that can hold up when defenses start loading up on him. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Fans Suddenly Have A Real Reason To Worry About Scoot
Scoot Hendersons second season never really got the runway he needed. A hamstring injury wiped out much of last year, and with that went a real chance to lock down the kind of lead-guard role Portland has been trying to define for him. Instead, the Trail Blazers spent the offseason reshaping the backcourt again, adding more names to a rotation that already had plenty of questions attached to it.
Now the pressure has shifted from development to fit, and that is where things get uncomfortable for Portland. Henderson is eligible for a contract extension this summer, and the Blazers have to decide whether his upside still points to a long-term core piece or whether the crowded guard picture makes that harder to see. For a player who was supposed to be central to the rebuild, the next step suddenly feels a lot less straightforward. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Arena Fight Suddenly Feels Bigger Than Just Moda Center
The conversation around Moda Center has moved well beyond a standard building upgrade, with the Trail Blazers and the city of Portland now locked into talks over what kind of future the franchise wants in the building it has called home for decades. Portland has put $600 million in public funds on the table for renovations tied to a 20-year lease, but the size of that proposal has only sharpened the sense that the arena issue is really about the teams place in the citys long-term sports landscape.
Tom Dundon has already pointed to the Oklahoma City Thunders $900 million public funding package as the kind of benchmark that makes Portlands offer look light by comparison, and the pressure only grows as the current lease runs toward 2030. Former Blazer Channing Frye has also described Moda Center as a standalone arena with little around it, a reminder that the debate is not just about repairs or amenities. It is about whether the building still fits the economics and expectations of the modern NBA, or whether the Blazers are quietly keeping every option open. [Read more 🡒]