This page may contain affiliate links. If you click a link and sign up, make a deposit, place a wager, or make a trade, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Scores 15 points with three treys
Rotowire
Lillard finished with 15 points (5-11 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 2-2 FT), one rebound, one assist and two steals over 19 minutes in Wednesday's 123-118 preseason win over the Warriors.
This was Lillard's first game back on the court since tearing his Achilles on March 18, 2025, and he didn't skip a beat, scoring in a variety of ways and burying multiple triples. He didn't hesitate to get his shot up and looked comfortable sharing the backcourt with new addition Ja Morant. It was an encouraging first step for Lillard, who will look to build on his strong return Tuesday in Sacramento.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Jrue Holiday: Not starting Wednesday
Rotowire
Holiday won't start Wednesday's preseason game against the Warriors, Jason Quick of The Athletic reports.
Holiday has been a full-time starter for most of his career, though he isn't guaranteed to begin the 2026-27 campaign in a starting role. The Trail Blazers will start Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan in their preseason opener.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Starting Wednesday
Rotowire
Morant will start in Wednesday's preseason opener against the Warriors, Jason Quick of The Athletic reports.
Morant will start in his Portland debut, and it'll be Damian Lillard, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan joining him in the first unit for Wednesday's exhibition. It'll be interesting to see how Morant works alongside Lillard in the backcourt.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: Could open camp with starters
Rotowire
Lillard may open training camp with Portland's starting group, according to Sam Amico of Hoops Wire.
With Lillard coming off an Achilles injury and now with a questionable fit alongside Ja Morant, the Portland backcourt has been one of the league's top camp storylines. The Trail Blazers open their preseason Wednesday against Golden State, and perhaps their first exhibition starting lineup will offer a hint to their plans for the regular season. Jrue Holiday is already expected to spend more time on the wing, so Portland could experiment with three-guard lineups featuring Lillard, Morant and Holiday at times.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Could start year off bench
Rotowire
Morant could come off the bench for Portland to begin the season, per Casey Holdahl of the Trail Blazers' official site.
With Portland's backcourt fit already a talking point after Morant's arrival, a reserve role would be a notable shift for a player who has made just two appearances off the bench in his seven-year career. The Trail Blazers acquired the star guard with an eye toward him meshing with the returning Damian Lillard in the backcourt, but it sounds like the team is mulling over the idea of easing Morant into the mix. Jrue Holiday appears to be the most likely candidate to open the year as a starter if Portland ultimately decides to deploy Morant from the second unit.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Jaylen Martin: Joins Portland for camp
Rotowire
Martin signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Trail Blazers on Wednesday, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports.
Martin isn't expected to stick around long, as Freeman notes the forward is likely to join their G League affiliate for the 2026-27 season. Therefore, he's expected to be waived in the near future.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Jrue Holiday: To play more on wing
Rotowire
Holiday is expected to spend more time on the wing this season, per Ramona Shelbourne of ESPN.com.
The veteran point guard averaged 16.3 points and 6.1 assists per game last year, his most since 2022-23 with the Bucks, but Holiday is likely to see fewer ball-handling responsibilities now that Ja Morant and Damian Lillard are manning the backcourt. Toumani Camara is the favorite to start at small forward for Portland, but Holiday is positioned for a very significant role off the bench and is worthy of a late-round fantasy pick. He should remain a major threat from deep after hitting a career-high 2.6 three-pointers per game in 2025-26.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Portland believes in him
Rotowire
The Trail Blazers remain confident that Morant can perform at a high level despite questions surrounding how he'll fit into Portland's crowded backcourt, general manager Joe Cronin told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN on Monday.
"Just straight belief in Ja. Our view of Ja as still a very high-level player," Cronin said, adding that Portland was "very focused on talent" when acquiring the two-time All-Star. Morant averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists across 20 regular-season appearances for Memphis in 2025-26, and he's expected to take on a prominent role in Portland's backcourt this season. There's also been no mention of his elbow sprain from the end of last campaign, suggesting he's 100 percent for camp.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard: No limitations for camp
Rotowire
Lillard (Achilles) is expected to enter training camp without limitations, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic.
Toumani Camara has matched up with Lillard during pre-camp workouts and was particularly impressed by the veteran guard's first step and speed following his lengthy rehabilitation. Lillard appears to be making significant progress ahead of his return to game action, though his workload and availability during the preseason will still be worth monitoring.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Mark Sears: Signs with Portland
Rotowire
Sears signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Portland on Wednesday, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian.
Sears is expected to be waived and eventually moved to the G League's Rip City Remix. He was a two-way player for the Bucks last season.
Boone agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Trail Blazers on Tuesday, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports.
Boone could compete for a spot on the regular-season roster, though the organization now owns his G League rights, so he may be waived before camp begins. The 25-year-old appeared in one game with the G League's South Bay Lakers in 2025-26 before suffering an ankle injury. He later returned to action with the Southland Sharks in New Zealand, with whom he averaged 17.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.1 assists in 26.8 minutes per contest across 16 regular-season outings.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Samson Johnson: Signs with Portland
Rotowire
Johnson signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Portland, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports.
This appears to be a procedural signing to seize Johnson's G League rights. He's expected to join the Rip City Remix this year.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Mark Armstrong: Signing with Portland
Rotowire
Armstrong is signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Trail Blazers on Tuesday, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports.
This looks like a procedural move to acquire Armstrong's G League rights. He's expected to report to the Rip City Remix ahead of the season.
Lee agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with Portland on Sept. 7, per Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report.
Lee joined the Spurs for Summer League this offseason and is now set to compete for a spot on Portland's regular-season roster. The Trail Blazers also own the 25-year-old's G League rights. He most recently played for Nagasaki Velca in the Japanese B.League in 2025-26 and last appeared in the G League for the Santa Cruz Warriors in 2022-23.
Trail Blazers' Ja Morant: Joining crowded backcourt
Rotowire
Morant (elbow) is set to share the playmaking duties with Damian Lillard (Achilles) in Portland's starting backcourt after being traded from Memphis.
Chris Haynes of NBA TV reported when the trade went down that the Trail Blazers had a Morant and Lillard backcourt pairing in mind, so it'll be interesting to see how the ball-handling responsibilities are divvied up in 2026-27 should they stick to that plan. Morant endured yet another injury-plagued campaign with the Grizzlies in 2025-26, making just 20 regular-season appearances while shooting a career-low 41.0 percent from the floor and 23.5 percent from deep, and he's reached the 60-game mark just one time over the past five seasons. With plenty of questions surrounding his fit in his new digs, the dynamic 27-year-old point guard is shaping up as a difficult fantasy player to rank as a high-risk, high-reward gamble in the second half of drafts.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Yang Hansen: Leads China to victory
Rotowire
Hansen registered 19 points (8-9 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and one block in 25 minutes during China's 89-87 win over Lebanon in Monday's FIBA World Cup qualifier.
Hansen starred for China on Monday, leading the club in scoring and rebounding. Hansen, a 2025 first-rounder, is looking to carve out a more prominent role in his second season with Portland, but he'll likely need to overtake Robert Williams and Micah Potter for a rotation spot. With that in mind, Hansen's most likely pathway to steady playing time resides with the G League's Rip City Remix.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Deni Avdija: Not cleared for qualifiers
Rotowire
Avdija said the Trail Blazers did not clear him to play for Israel during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers due to the back injury he dealt with last season, Sam Amico of HoopsWire reports.
Avdija explained that he wanted to represent Israel but that Portland wasn't willing to risk his health while he recovered from what he described as a complex back injury. The 25-year-old dealt with the issue beginning in January but still put together a breakout 2025-26 campaign, averaging 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists across 66 regular-season appearances while earning his first All-Star selection.
... See More... See Less
Trail Blazers' Yang Hansen: Shines for China
Rotowire
Hansen recorded 15 points (7-11 FG, 1-2 3Pt), nine rebounds, one assist and two blocks in 20 minutes during China's 83-57 win over Qatar in Thursday's FIBA World Cup qualifier.
Hansen came off the bench but led China in both scoring and rebounding, continuing an encouraging offseason for the 21-year-old center. The 2025 first-round pick had a limited role as a rookie with Portland, averaging just 2.2 points and 1.5 rebounds per game during the regular season, but he'll have an opportunity to push for a larger role in his sophomore campaign.
0:35
1:04
1:28
1:56
1:11
1:33
1:32
1:48
9:10
1:46
0:44
1:45
11:15
1:14
12:25
1:34
1:43
0:50
1:11
