After only 36 wins in 2024-25, the Portland Trail Blazers improved to 42-40, finished eighth in the West, and reached the playoffs, surprising almost everyone in the process. They lost 4-1 to the Spurs in the first round, but just getting there was already a big step for a young team that had low expectations.
Deni Avdija became an All-Star with 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists. Donovan Clingan grew into a starting center with 12.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks. Portland suddenly had two young building pieces, plus Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara, and Damian Lillard waiting to return from his Achilles injury.
But they were still far from being contenders. Their offensive rating was 114.4 and defensive rating 114.7, both around the middle of the league. The first-round loss showed they needed another high-level creator and more pressure against playoff defenses.
Portland didn’t wait and traded for Ja Morant, extended Robert Williams, hired a new head coach, and added some cheap rotation players. It was one of the strangest offseasons in the league. The upside is clear, but the injury risks, shooting problems, and roster balance are also a question mark right now.
Here is how I grade every important move.
Hiring Micah Nori As Head Coach
The Blazers started the offseason by hiring Micah Nori, who was one of the main assistants under Chris Finch with the Timberwolves until last season.
Nori has worked in the NBA since 2009 and has a good reputation as an assistant coach. He has experience with player development, defense, and strange roster situations. This can help Portland, a team with many guards and big men competing for minutes.
On paper, it looks safe. In reality, it feels more like a cheap decision than a committed basketball choice. The Blazers let Tiago Splitter go to the Bulls after they refused to offer more than a $1.5 million deal for the head coach job. That salary was seen as the lowest in the league, and several candidates didn’t even want to talk with Portland.
Around the league, many people think ownership under Tom Dunson is very careful with money on coaches and staff. Rival executives said the Blazers’ coaching search was just looking for the cheapest option, not a real search for top leadership.
So instead of hiring a proven head coach or a strong first-time candidate, Portland took the most affordable option from the assistant pool. Nori is respected, but he was not clearly the best basketball choice available to them. He was the most realistic financial one.
This is important because he now has a difficult roster with Morant, Lillard, Holiday, Henderson and Sharpe all needing structure. If things go wrong, it will not only be about the schemes, it will also be about whether Portland really gave the coaching search a proper budget.
This feels less like a smart strategic hire and more like a team trying to save money and hoping things work out.
Grade: C+
Trading For Ja Morant In A Blockbuster
This was the biggest move of the offseason for them, obviously. The Blazers got Ja Morant from the Grizzlies without giving up Avdija, Clingan, Camara, Sharpe, Henderson, or any first-round picks. They only sent Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, two players who were not key for the future.
From pure talent, this was almost impossible to reject. Morant has career averages of 22.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. At his best, he is one of the most explosive guards in the league. He attacks the rim hard and can change the speed of an offense completely. Portland didn’t have anyone who could create that kind of pressure against a set defense.
Last season, though, he averaged 19.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists in only 20 games. He shot 41.0% from the field and only 23.5% from three before a left elbow UCL sprain ended his season. He had also missed time earlier with calf soreness.
The Blazers are not getting a healthy 27-year-old All-Star, and that’s why his price was so low to begin with. They are betting on a player who has not finished a full healthy season in years and keeps having availability problems. Morant will earn $42.2 million in 2026-27 and $44.9 million in 2027-28. So Portland is committing $87.1 million for the last two years of his contract.
The money risk is not as bad as it looks. Grant was owed about $70.6 million in the same two seasons. Portland added less than $17 million in total salary while upgrading from a declining player to a possible All-Star point guard.
The fit can be good in some ways. Morant can collapse defenses, Clingan can be a good lob target, and Avdija will not need to create every hard shot. Portland could have three players who push the ball right after rebounds, so they should be one of the fastest teams in the league.
But the spacing worries me. Morant made only 23.5% from three last season, Avdija made 31.8%, and Clingan doesn’t pull defenders away from the paint. If they play those three with another non-shooter, the floor can become very small.
There is also the guard problem. Lillard, Holiday, Henderson, and Sharpe were already on the roster. Adding Morant gives more talent, but not a clean rotation.
Even with these problems, I like the gamble a lot because the cost was very low. Teams like the Blazers almost never get star talent without trading good young players or picks. If Morant comes back close to his best level, this will be one of the best trades of the offseason.
If he cannot stay healthy, Portland can just move on when the contract ends in two years.
Grade: B+
Re-Signing Robert Williams III
Robert Williams III signed a three-year, $44 million contract to stay with the Blazers until the 2028-29 season. With 6.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in only 17.1 minutes, he resurfaced as a very strong option off the bench for 2025-26. He shot 70.8% from the field and played 59 games also, which was a big improvement after only 26 games in his first two seasons in Portland.
When healthy, Williams is still one of the best backup big men in the NBA. He protects the rim, rebounds well, passes from the middle, and finishes almost everything near the basket. His impact per minute is better than the basic numbers show.
The contract is a bit expensive, though. Clingan is already the starting center, and the Blazers also have Yang Hansen, Branden Carlson, and Micah Potter. Paying Williams about $14.7 million per year to play under 20 minutes is a lot, especially for a player with a long injury history.
Portland is hoping that the 59 games last season mean his body can finally stay healthy. I am not fully sure. Williams has played only 294 games in eight NBA seasons and reached 60 games only two times.
Still, the deal is not terrible. Starting centers often make more than $20 million now, and Williams could be a good trade asset if he stays healthy. Portland also needs his defense when Clingan rests.
I would have preferred a two-year deal or a little less money. Three years at $44 million is okay, but it has more risk than many people admit.
Grade: B-
Signing Jeremy Sochan
The Jeremy Sochan signing is an underrated move in the offseason, but I’m still having trouble expecting big things out of him anymore. Sochan signed a one-year, non-guaranteed deal after finishing last season with the Knicks. This gives Portland almost no financial risk and a chance to look at a 23-year-old former lottery pick in training camp.
His value dropped a lot last season as the Spurs waived him in February, and then he averaged only 2.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 6.9 minutes in 16 games with the Knicks. He almost didn’t play in their championship run, so it’s not like Portland really found a steal of a deal here.
Sochan has career averages of 9.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, with his first two Spurs seasons being his best. He can defend different positions, rebound, and bring energy without needing special plays. Portland lost Grant and Matisse Thybulle, so adding another physical defender makes sense.
The shooting is the clear problem. Sochan has made only 28.7% of his threes in his career, and Portland already has many players defenses ignore. A Morant-Sochan-Clingan lineup looks very hard on offense.
This does not ruin the signing because nothing is guaranteed. If Sochan looks bad in camp, Portland can let him go. If he finds again the energy and versatility he showed early with the Spurs, the Blazers get a rotation forward for the minimum salary.
I like these kinds of bets. Sochan is young, talented enough to have started 149 NBA games, and motivated to rebuild his career.
Grade: B+
Adding Branden Carlson And Micah Potter
Portland also signed Branden Carlson to a one-year, $2.4 million contract and claimed Micah Potter off waivers.
Carlson averaged 5.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.7 assists last season. He shot 52.7% from the field and 36.0% from three. At 7-foot, he gives the Blazers another center who can shoot a little and pull defenders away from the paint.
Potter is more interesting on offense. He averaged career highs of 9.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists with the Pacers and made 42.3% from three. Portland did not need to give any asset or sign a new contract, they just claimed him after Indiana waived him.
Neither player will change the rotation completely, but both help the spacing problem better than Sochan or Williams. My problem is that Portland now has too many big men. They can’t all play that many minutes. Someone will sit most nights, and the Blazers could have used another reliable wing instead.
Still, depth is important when Williams is on the team. Carlson and Potter are cheap, can shoot, and will not complain about small roles.
They are normal depth signings, but sensible ones.
Grade: B
Losing Matisse Thybulle And Having No 2026 Picks
Matisse Thybulle left Portland and signed a one-year, $3.3 million contract with the Lakers after posting 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in 30 games last season. He was still a very good defensive player, but his limited shooting and constant injuries made it hard to give him a stable role.
Losing him is not a big disaster. Camara is already a better long-term defensive wing, and Sochan can take some of those jobs. Portland already has enough limited shooters without keeping another one.
Still, seeing Thybulle leave for a minimum contract feels a bit strange. The Blazers could have used his defense in some matchups, especially after adding a small Morant-Lillard backcourt.
Portland also entered the 2026 NBA Draft without a pick. Their first-round selection went to the Bulls at No. 15 after the Blazers reached the playoffs. This finished an old obligation from the 2021 Larry Nance Jr. trade, while Chicago used the pick on Dailyn Swain.
I don’t blame the current front office much, but the lack of a new rookie makes the offseason feel a little incomplete.
Grade: C+
Final Offseason Grade
Portland had a good offseason, but I am not ready to call it a great one yet. Sure, the Morant trade gives the Blazers something they couldn’t find in free agency: a real star-level creator. Giving up Grant, Murray, and no first-round picks was a gamble they had to take. Even if Morant fails, the team didn’t destroy its future to get him.
The smaller moves were also sensible. Williams is expensive but useful, Sochan is a low-risk upside bet, and Potter can quietly become a good floor-spacing big man. The problem is that the roster still looks strange. Morant, Lillard, Holiday, Henderson, and Sharpe all need guard minutes. Morant and Lillard could become one of the weakest defensive backcourts in the league. Henderson’s development may also slow down after he improved to 14.2 points and 3.7 assists last season.
Portland also did not fix the shooting enough. Morant, Avdija, Sochan, Camara, Williams and Clingan all like to play close to the paint. Potter and Carlson help, but neither is sure to play big minutes. I still prefer this offseason over another summer of waiting. The Blazers won 42 games, found an All-Star in Avdija, and now added a player who already led a team to 56 wins. That is a more interesting direction than staying a normal Play-In team.
The final grade depends almost completely on Morant. If he plays 65 games, Portland may have stolen an All-Star for two unwanted contracts. If he plays only 20 again, the backcourt becomes an expensive mess, and they waste another year of Avdija’s cheap contract.
For the price, I think the gamble was worth it. I just need to see a healthier and more balanced roster before giving Portland an A.
Final Offseason Grade: B
