LaMelo Ball could be a good solution for the Portland Trail Blazers' backcourt dilemma. Ball's elite defense could help cover for Ball's limitations on that end of the court. The Blazers also wouldn't have to rely on Ball as heavily as essentially the only option.
Scoot Henderson is entering his third season with the Portland Trail Blazers. He has the physical makeup to become a high-level two-way guard. He needs to sharpen the mental side: staying disciplined on the ball.
The footage in this latest video is uncut, so viewers get to see the mistakes and misses from each player. After each player wins one round, Henderson claims a decisive second win in the fourth and final round.
Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe credits Damian Lillard with helping him after a rocky start to his college career at Baylor University. Edgecombe, the No. 3 overall pick in June’s NBA Draft, said he attended Lillard's camp for high school prospects.
Damian Lillard is returning to college, this time as general manager of Weber State. The current Portland Trail Blazers guard made the announcement Saturday night. He was a two-time Big Sky MVP in his three seasons at Weber State before leaving after his junior year.
Damian Lillard is returning to the Portland Trail Blazers after two seasons in Milwaukee. Lillard was traded from the Blazers to the Bucks in the summer of 2023. The Blazers landed two important building blocks in Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara.
Deni Avdija emerged as the go-to option for the Portland Trail Blazers down the stretch of the 2024-25 season. In his 20 games following the All-Star break, he averaged 23.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. The Blazers continued investing in Avdijia this offseason, primarily by subtraction with Anfernee Simons, Deandre Ayton, and to a lesser extent, Dalano Banton landing elsewhere.
The Portland Trail Blazers have signed Duop Reath to a one-year, $2.2 million contract. Reath has been an on-again, off-again bench player for the Blazers for the past two seasons. The Blazers will have the option to tender him a qualifying offer and make him a restricted free agent next summer.
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard will become Weber State University basketball program’s new general manager. Lillard spent four years at Weber State from 2008-2011 before being drafted sixth overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2012.
The Portland Trail Blazers have done a decent job building out their depth over the past three seasons. Kris Murray is expected to start the season playing few, if any, minutes. The 28-year-old will hit unrestricted free agency next summer unless the Blazers trade him or extend him.
A sports trade rumor about former Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum sounds too good to be true. There are no indications that McCollums will be traded from the Washington Wizards to the Blazers. The Blazers have a full backcourt that includes Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson.
The Portland Trail Blazers are coming off an encouraging 36-46 season. They expect to build on that momentum in 2025-26, hoping to make the play-in despite being in a loaded Western Conference. However, they face a concerning low win projection of 33.5 games.
The Portland Trail Blazers have signed Duop Reath to a one-year, $2.2 million contract. Reath has been an on-again, off-again bench player for the Blazers for the past two seasons. The 29-year-old has a single year remaining on his contract.
Toumani Camara won’t play in FIBA EuroBasket 2025 with the Belgian national team. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell also will not play for the national team in the international tournament. LA Clippers forward Nicolas Batum won't participate in the tournament because he announced he is retiring from play with the French team.
Adam Silver said the NBA's "preference" is that the Trail Blazers remain in Portland. But he also opened what figures to be a long public negotiation over where they will play.
Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson is entering a pivotal third season. Anfernee Simons and Dalano Banton are now out of Portland's backcourt picture. Holiday is a much lower-maintenance player on the court than Simons, while Lillard may not even play in 2025-26.
The Portland Trail Blazers are ranked 21st in ESPN's latest power ranking. The team has signed Damian Lillard and Blake Wesley to free agent deals. The franchise also added Jrue Holiday and Yang Hansen at the draft.
The Portland Trail Blazers finished 22nd in the NBA during the 2024-25 season with a 36-46 record. Writer Bryan Kalbrosky listed all the teams based on their mascot vibes. The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, who have no mascot at all, came in 26th and 27th, respectively.
Deni Avdija played four seasons for the Washington Wizards. He was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers after his first full season. The forward says he was devastated by the decision.
The latest edition of The Brief Case is presented by Spirit Mountain Casino. This is the 165th edition of the show.