The Portland Trail Blazers will begin their 2026-27 NBA regular season on Wednesday night at home versus the Phoenix Suns. It was reported Wednesday morning that offseason trade acquisition and two-time All-Star guard Ja Morant would be coming off the Trail Blazers' bench to start his career in Portland. Senior NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Wednesday afternoon, however, that the 2019-20 Rookie of the Year will be in the team's starting lineup.
The Trail Blazers had a massive summer, hiring Micah Nori as their next head coach on June 23 and trading for Morant on June 29. These moves came after Portland brought back legendary point guard Damian Lillard in free agency last July, though the nine-time All-Star missed the entire 2025-26 campaign while recovering from a torn Achilles. Nori's roster also includes fellow notable guards in two-time All-Star Jrue Holiday, former No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson and former seventh overall pick Shaedon Sharpe.
The 23-year-old Sharpe, however, is currently sidelined due to a torn meniscus. Spears had initially reported that Morant would be in the Blazers' second unit due to the team's crowded backcourt. The 27-year-old former No. 2 draft pick averaged 19.5 points, 8.1 assists and 28.5 minutes per game during his final season with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2025-26 but was limited to 20 contests due to calf and elbow injuries.
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