Examining Blazers' Salary Cap, Decisions for 2026 NBA Free Agency after Spurs Loss
The roller coaster has come to a stop for the Portland Trail Blazers, who endured a challenging ride throughout this campaign.
Shortly before the regular season began, the NBA placed head coach Chauncey Billups on leave following his arrest for federal gambling-related charges. Portland turned to assistant Tiago Splitter as the interim boss.
In the wake of that bombshell news, Splitter kept the Blazers together and guided them to a first postseason trip since 2021.
Portland ended up falling to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
While the Blazers have a few important decisions to make, they're entering the offseason with a foundation for optimism for next year.
2026 Salary Cap
1 of 3
The absolute best thing in Portland's world is that Deni Avdija, the breakout star of the season, has an incredibly team-friendly contract.
Not only is Avdija due a modest $13.1 million next season, he's under the Blazers' control for another year at $11.9 million after that. Having your top player on such an affordable deal is stellar for roster construction, and Jrue Holiday's team-high $34.8 million salary is quite manageable, too.
Portland's salary sheet is fascinating, though, as we'll get to shortly.
Currently, the Blazers are slated to return 12 players at a $171.6 million cost. They should be able to stay below the projected $201 million luxury tax—and new owner Tom Dundon, even if willing to pay up, may prefer that anyway.
Top Contract Decisions
2 of 3
One of the NBA's most uncomplicated outlooks, Portland has zero restricted free agents, team options or player options to navigate.
The toughest decisions all center on possible trades.
Avidja isn't going anywhere, given his elite production on a low-dollar contract. Donovan Clingan falls in the same category, and Toumani Camara is a building block. Plus, the Blazers likely won't be eager to move on from Holiday.
Beyond them, who knows? Shedding the $34.2 million on Jerami Grant's agreement would be nice—although a salary dump assuredly means attaching future draft capital—and acquiring a star likely would require the Blazers to part with Scoot Henderson or Shaedon Sharpe.
Portland has many, many potential paths on the horizon. The key this offseason is committing to one of those routes.
Free Agents to Pursue
3 of 3
Robert Williams III is not an indispensable player for Portland but clearly valuable as a versatile backup in the frontcourt. Planning to re-sign Williams is a good starting point for the Blazers' plans.
From there, the next steps revolve around any possible trades.
If the Blazers land a star player, what's his position? Additionally, does he space the floor? (Looking at you, Giannis Antetokounmpo).
Portland absolutely must improve its perimeter threat after ranking 28th in the league from three-point range—and franchise legend Damian Lillard coming back from injury isn't enough to solve it.
Norman Powell and Anfernee Simons both fit that department, though a reunion is not always an easy sell. Quentin Grimes is also a logical match, and Luke Kennard is worth a conversation, at least.
Again, the conversation hinges on whether the Blazers make a flashy trade or ultimately keep the roster largely intact.
