Although some off-court matters have hung a cloud over the Portland Trail Blazers, they will be a team worth following in the 2026-27 season.
There is no shortage of talent on the Blazers roster. In fact, Portland’s mixture of veteran starpower and emerging young talent is rather unique and enough to make the team no walk over in the Western Conference.
The Blazers have also had a notable offseason in their own right, as explained by ESPN’s Zach Kram.
“Portland re-signed (Robert) Williams to a great extension, which both keeps the valuable role player on its roster and gives the team protection if the injury-prone center misses more time,” Kram wrote. “The Trail Blazers also traded for (Ja) Morant, which makes sense as a pure talent play but comes with serious fit questions, as new coach Micah Nori will now have to juggle a backcourt of Morant, (Damian) Lillard, Sharpe, Scoot Henderson and (Jrue) Holiday, to say nothing of All-Star forward (Deni) Avdija, who was at his best playing on the ball last season.”
The Trade Deadline Move to Make for Warriors’ Draymond Green
Depending on how the season goes, the Blazers could be a major player around the trade deadline in February. Especially with the glut of guards Portland has, the midseason deadline could be an opportunity for the team to clarify its backcourt and pick up a star veteran.
One move the Blazers could make is for Warriors star Draymond Green. Here’s a deal that could make sense for Portland.
Blazers receive: Draymond Green and De’Anthony Melton
Warriors receive: Jrue Holiday
In this hypothetical trade, the Blazers clear the logjam in their backcourt as the playoff race starts to heat up, allowing Morant, Lillard and Henderson to share the load. With veteran leadership being so imporant to an emerging team, retaning Holiday, a two-time NBA champion, probably wouldn’t be the wrong move. But Portland would get a four-time champion in Green, a four-time champion who would be that veteran guiding hand the team needs.
A Trade That Makes Sense for Both Sides
As ESPN’s Ben Golliver noted, new head coach Micah Nori will have quite the task on his hands trying to get Holiday, Lillard, Morant and Henderson their individual shine.
“First-time head coach Nori, who was hired in June, will have real talent at his disposal, but his roster is heavy on scoring-minded guards and light on frontcourt difference-makers. Lillard, Morant, Avdija and Holiday boast All-Star credentials, while Henderson and Sharpe are recent lottery picks. Even if Nori, a former Minnesota Timberwolves assistant, gets creative with his lineups, there aren’t enough touches and shots to go around.”
Green, who averaged 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game last season, could make a major difference with his proven championship pedigree. Plus, the Blazers could use help up front, and Green remains one of the league’s top flight defenders even at 36.
Meanwhile, the Warriors would pick up a player to create offense outside of Steph Curry. Holiday may be aging and far from a dynamic scorer, but seeing his previous teams — the Miliwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics — win a championship in his first season with the franchise was no coincidence. Holiday has a championship-sized impact on winning.
Warriors Proposed to Trade Draymond Green for $134M Star SG in Blazers Deal