Amid the off-court drama that has plagued the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason, the team is looking to take the next step in their march forward to contention. They had a surprisingly good 2025-26 campaign, finishing with a 42-40 record and even securing the seventh seed in the playoffs, and they added talent to their roster by taking a chance on Ja Morant — adding him to what already was becoming a stacked guard rotation.

It's not quite clear yet what role Morant will be playing for the Blazers this season. Portland has four legitimate candidates to start at the two guard positions, namely Morant, Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, and Scoot Henderson, and new head coach Micah Nori will have his work cut out for him to make this unorthodox roster work.

Nonetheless, the early returns seem to be very promising. The Blazers posted a hype video on X showing that Morant is already jelling well with his new teammates.

Ja Morant looking good while scrimmaging with his new Blazers teammates 👀

(via @trailblazers)pic.twitter.com/QDbQy7pDgl

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 4, 2026

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The footage the Blazers posted does not forecast what lineups the team will be rolling with, as it looks as though the coaching staff is still mixing and matching with potential lineup combinations.

One would think that Morant, being the highest-paid player on the team, is in line to start. However, the fit, at least on paper, with him and Lillard doesn't seem very great, with both being potential weak spots on defense. But are the Blazers actually going to bench Lillard, the franchise's GOAT, to accommodate for their new acquisition?

Whatever the case ends up being, the Blazers have all the tools to play fast and play loose, with plenty of capable playmakers and shot-makers up and down the roster. If Deni Avdija can take an even bigger leap after averaging 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists last season, Portland could become a sneaky good team — good enough to secure a playoff spot, even in the West.

The Blazers open their account in preseason on October 7, when they host the Golden State Warriors at Moda Center at 10:00 PM E.T.