Published for Blazers fans — October 2026
By Toxlay Sports Editorial Team · Last updated October 19, 2026
The Club
The Portland Trail Blazers are Rip City — one of the NBA’s most loyal fan bases backing one of its most tradition-rich franchises. Founded in 1970, the Blazers won the franchise’s only NBA championship in 1977 behind Bill Walton, Jack Ramsay and the Red, White and Black. They play at Moda Center in red, black and white, and the connection between this team and this city is deeper than almost anywhere else in basketball. The motto is Rip City — and this fall, for the first time in three years, Damian Lillard is a Trail Blazer again.
Last Season (2025-26): Back to the Playoffs
For the first time in five years, Portland played meaningful basketball in April. The Blazers finished 42-40, grabbed the No. 7 seed in the West — a season built on the breakout of Deni Avdija (24.2 points per game) and the steady hand of newly acquired Jrue Holiday. The playoff return was short: one win in five games against the San Antonio Spurs. But it was a beginning, not an ending. The summer then rewrote the roster: Jerami Grant and Kris Murray went to Memphis for Ja Morant, Tiago Splitter left to coach the Chicago Bulls, and former Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori took over on the bench. New ownership (Tom Dundon) walked in. And Damian Lillard — waived by Milwaukee after his April 2025 Achilles tear — signed to come home.
Best Players Right Now (2026-27 Roster)
Damian Lillard, 36, Guard (#0) — Dame Time is back in Rip City. The franchise’s all-time leading scorer sat out all of last season rehabbing a torn Achilles suffered in the 2025 playoffs with Milwaukee; he scored 23 in the preseason finale and teammates say he looks like himself. Expect managed minutes early, but the heart of the offense.
Ja Morant, 27, Guard (#12) — The blockbuster add. Acquired in late June from Memphis for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray; career 22.4 points per game, but he’s played only 79 games over the past three seasons. When he’s right, the most explosive guard in the league.
Deni Avdija, 25, Forward (#8) — The breakout. A career year at 24.2 points per game made him Portland’s best player last season — driven by 9.2 free-throw attempts a night. The co-star now.
Jrue Holiday, 36, Guard (#5) — The steady hand. Came over from Boston for Anfernee Simons last summer and ran the show (19.6/7.8/5.4 early last season). Two-time champion, six-time All-Defense. Guard-heavy rotation? He’s the one who makes it work.
Scoot Henderson, 22, Guard (#00) — The wait continues. Tore his left hamstring and will miss the start of the regular season; the development clock is ticking in this crowded backcourt.
Shaedon Sharpe, 23, Guard (#17) — The high-flyer. Athletic scoring wing whose role keeps growing; has to defend better to close games.
Toumani Camara, 26, Forward (#33) — The defensive stopper. All-Defensive Second Team in 2025; the guy who guards the other team’s best player every night.
Donovan Clingan, 22, Center (#23) — The anchor. Starting center in preseason; elite rim protection and a growing offensive game.
Yang Hansen, 21, Center — The rookie. Portland’s 2026 draft pick already showing flashes (13 points, 4 rebounds in preseason); skilled big with real touch.
Robert Williams III, 28, Center (#35) — The Time Lord. Elite shot-blocker when healthy — the big question is always the games played.
Jeremy Sochan, 23, Forward — The summer add. Versatile defender brought in to raise the floor of the second unit.
Head coach: Micah Nori — First season. The former Timberwolves assistant inherits a deep, talented, guard-heavy roster and one big puzzle: how to divide the ball among Lillard, Morant, Holiday and Henderson.
Star Spotlight: Stories You Should Know
Dame is home. The story that matters most. Damian Lillard — 11 seasons in Portland, franchise leader in everything, then two years in Milwaukee, then an Achilles tear in April 2025 and a waiver. Most people thought he was done. Then the comeback: cleared for 5-on-5 in the summer, came home to Oregon, and in pre-camp workouts was blowing past Toumani Camara — an All-Defensive Team player — who told The Athletic he was stunned by Lillard’s first step: “He has mastered his game and mastered his body.” At 36, in reduced minutes, he doesn’t need to be 2020 Dame. He just needs to be Dame at the right moments. Rip City has been waiting three years for those moments.
The 0.9 game. April 23, 2019. Western Conference first round, Game 5, Blazers up 3-1 over Oklahoma City. Tie game, 0.9 seconds left. Lillard — 35 feet from the basket, guarded by Paul George — rises and buries the series-winning three, then waves goodbye. The 50-point game (10 threes) that preceded it is the signature night of a Hall of Fame career. Every new Blazers fan learns this story. Every old one retells it.
1977 — the only banner. Portland’s lone championship came in its seventh season: Bill Walton, the 1977 Finals MVP, and coach Jack Ramsay rallying from 0-2 down to beat the Philadelphia 76ers in six. It was the birth of Rip City. Nearly fifty years later, this team is still chasing that feeling — and the city still believes it can come home again.
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This Season (2026-27): The Guard Experiment
Vegas set the win total at 41.5 — essentially last year’s 42-40, with BetMGM’s line drifting down from 43.5. The ceiling is real: four point guards (Lillard, Morant, Holiday, Henderson) who could each start for playoff teams, a 24-point-a-night forward in Avdija, and a real rim protector in Clingan. The floor is real too: Lillard is 36 coming off an Achilles, Morant’s availability is a perennial question, the defense ranked just 14th last year, and new coach Micah Nori has to make the league’s most guard-heavy rotation actually work. If it clicks, Portland is a top-six team in the West. If it doesn’t, it’s another play-in season. This is the most fascinating experiment in the NBA.
Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Games to Watch
Wondering when the Blazers play? The Blazers schedule opens at home — and the first two weeks are a gauntlet. Grab your Blazers tickets early for these:
- October 21 — vs Phoenix Suns (home opener, Moda Center, 7 PM): Opening night. Lillard’s official homecoming game. The roof comes off Rip City when Dame checks in.
- October 27 — at Los Angeles Lakers (NBC/Peacock, 8 PM): National TV in Los Angeles against Luka Doncic’s Lakers — the first real test.
- November 2 — at Denver Nuggets (6 PM): A trip to Mile High to face Nikola Jokić and the contender Denver built after trading MPJ. Measuring stick.
- November 10 — vs Oklahoma City Thunder (home, NBC/Peacock, 8 PM): The 0.9 game’s ghost comes to Moda Center. SGA’s Thunder under the bright lights.
- November 16 — at Minnesota Timberwolves (5 PM): Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle gone, LaMelo Ball in — the Northwest war on the road.
Biggest Rivalries — The Wars
1. Los Angeles Lakers — THE one. Three decades of playoff blood — 2000 WCF (the Blazers’ 15-point fourth-quarter collapse in Game 7), Kobe years, LeBron years, and now Luka. Two meetings in the first three weeks (October 27, November 6) — buckle up.
2. Denver Nuggets — The modern Northwest war. The 2019 four-OT Game 3 epic, years of jockeying for playoff seeding, and now a November 2 date with Jokić’s title-chasing Nuggets.
3. Golden State Warriors — The Dame-vs-Steph shootouts, the Klay years, and an NBA Cup showdown at home on November 27. Curry’s last dance still hurts.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves — The new Northwest blood. Ant Edwards’ rise, the 2024-2026 playoff collisions with Denver that reshaped the division, and two early meetings (November 16 and 17, back-to-back).
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Damian Lillard return to the Trail Blazers?
Yes. After Milwaukee waived him following his April 2025 Achilles tear, Lillard signed to come home to Portland in the summer of 2026.
When the Blazers play the Lakers in 2026-27?
The Blazers visit Los Angeles on October 27 on NBC/Peacock, with a second meeting against Luka's Lakers soon after.
Who are the best Blazers players right now?
Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, Deni Avdija and Jrue Holiday.
What is the 0.9 game?
On April 23, 2019, Lillard buried a 37-foot series-winning three over Paul George with 0.9 seconds left in Game 5 against Oklahoma City, capping a 50-point night.
Show Your Colors
Rip City — at Moda Center or watching from home, true fans wear it. Gear up with quality fan sportswear — jerseys, tees and athletic wear built for real supporters:
Shop Fan Sportswear at Toxlay Sports →
Sources & official links: Portland Trail Blazers official site · Portland Trail Blazers tickets
Rip City — Dame is home, and the Moda Center roof is about to come off.
