Previewing the Portland Trail Blazers for the 2026-27 Season
The Blazers have had a very interesting last year or so. There was the Chauncey Billups scandal at the start of last season, then the team actually exceeded expectations, made the playoffs, and had a pretty competitive first-round series against the Spurs.
Since then, they have had some controversies under new owner Tom Dundon, with the biggest one being the decision not to bring interim head coach Tiago Splitter back. The coaching search Portland went through afterward was also embarrassing because of the way Dundon operated it.
This might be one of the most guard-heavy teams I have ever seen, but there is still plenty of talent on this roster to make some noise in the Western Conference this season.
The Roster
Point Guards: Ja Morant, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson
Shooting Guards: Damian Lillard, Shaedon Sharpe (currently injured), Chris Youngblood (Two-Way Contract)
Small Forwards: Deni Avdija, Vít Krejčí, Sidy Cissoko, John Tonje (Two-Way Contract), Jayson Kent (Two-Way Contract)
Power Forwards: Toumani Camara, Jeremy Sochan, Micah Potter
Centers: Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III, Branden Carlson, Yang Hansen
The roster is pretty similar to last season's. Damian Lillard will be back this season after missing all of last year due to injury.
Adding Ja Morant is an interesting move, and for what Portland gave up for him, I think it was a very good deal. Shaedon Sharpe will be out for at least part of the season due to an injury he suffered during the offseason, so early on, that will open up some much-needed minutes in the backcourt.
Jeremy Sochan coming over from the New York Knicks is also a solid addition. Even though he did not get a lot of minutes in New York, there will definitely be an opportunity for him to carve out a role in Portland.
Biggest Questions
The biggest question, like I have stated a couple of times already, is how all of these guards are going to fit into roles that work well for the team.
Ja Morant and Damian Lillard are two players who thrive when they have the ball in their hands. Scoot Henderson is also still young and trying to prove himself, so I really do not see a scenario where he has a great season unless he eventually gets traded or the rotation changes significantly.
Jrue Holiday is a guy who will not need the ball in his hands as much, but Shaedon Sharpe is someone who will once he comes back. New head coach Micah Nori will have a big challenge, but also an opportunity, in Year 1 to balance all of this out.
Another question I have is whether Donovan Clingan can take another step forward.
Clingan struggled in the first round of the playoffs against the Spurs, but he took a big step forward in Year 2. Can he continue that trend going into Year 3?
He will be playing with two excellent playmakers in Ja Morant and Damian Lillard, which could definitely get him more high-percentage looks. Clingan averaged 12.1 points and 11.6 rebounds last season in Year 2.
I want to see him become more of a threat offensively in the paint, and like I stated, he should have an opportunity to do so this season. We will also see whether he can continue to grow defensively and develop into one of the best defensive big men in the league.
The last question I have is how all of the drama surrounding this organization will affect the team.
This team has a lot of outside factors that could potentially affect the locker room, although they also might not. Tom Dundon is one of the biggest issues. His desire to leave Portland can create a lot of noise, and this organization has already been filled with internal issues over the last few years.
Micah Nori is also being put in a difficult position. Being basically on the hot seat during Year 1 is not a good look. Nori has only one guaranteed year on his deal, and if things do not go well, he could be let go. That does not exactly show much faith in your new head coach.
Ja Morant has also had some off-the-court issues in recent years. I do not think those will come into play much this season, as he seems to be in a much better place now, but there are still so many little factors and "what ifs" surrounding this team.
All of that could create noise throughout the season, and we will see whether it affects the locker room. It is unfortunate because a lot of these issues could have been prevented if the organization had been run more competently.
Prediction Markets
Win Total: 41.5
To Win the NBA Finals: +8000 (17th-best odds)
To Win the Western Conference: +4000 (8th-best odds)
To Reach the Conference Finals: +1400 (8th-best odds)
To Reach the Conference Semifinals: +320 (8th-best odds)
To Win the Division: +4000 (4th-best odds)T
o Make the Playoffs: -220
To Miss the Playoffs: +180
To Participate in the Play-In: +100
To Win the NBA Cup: +5000 (17th-best odds)
These odds put Portland somewhere in the middle of the league. The markets are predicting the Blazers to be a playoff team somewhere around the No. 6-8 seed range.
The Blazers were right around that level last season, securing the No. 7 seed. I think this team can definitely meet or even exceed those expectations because there is more talent on the roster this season.
It will really come down to whether this group can come together and, especially, whether they can keep all of the outside noise from becoming a factor.
Final Prediction and Outlook
The Blazers have plenty of talent to make major noise in the West this season.
I am surprised that the win total is only set at 41.5 because I thought it would be at least 45. The biggest reason it is probably that low is because the floor of this team is difficult to predict. This is a squad with a very high ceiling, but also a pretty low floor if things do not come together.
I think Clingan takes another step forward, and I expect Ja Morant and Damian Lillard to both play really well and help turn Portland's guard room into one of the best in the NBA.
Final Prediction: 45-37, No. 6 Seed, First-Round Exit
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