Blazers to Face British League Champs London Lions in Historic NBA Preseason Game

There will reportedly be an international component to the Portland Trail Blazers' preseason schedule ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Eduardo Tansley of The Athletic reported Monday the Trail Blazers will host the London Lions for a preseason game on Monday, Oct. 12. The game will start at 1 p.m. PT and 9 p.m. in the United Kingdom.

It will be a historic contest, as the Lions will be the first British basketball team to face an NBA one.

The Lions are the reigning British League champions and figure to at least provide a challenge for Portland. There will also be a family connection for Trail Blazers fans, as Tautvydas Sabonis is the head coach of the London club.

Sabonis is the brother of Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis and the son of Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis, who played seven seasons for the Trail Blazers during his NBA career.

This comes after The Athletic reported London was one of the proposed markets for the NBA's Europe League. The 16-team league could start in October 2027.

Portland is one of the teams in the NBA that could make a leap this season after losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2026 playoffs. It still has go-to option Deni Avdija and traded for Ja Morant this offseason.

Damian Lillard also figures to return from injury, while Jrue Holiday remains as a veteran leader.

The primary stars may not get significant playing time against the Lions in the preseason contest, but it will give fans an early chance to see what Portland looks like against an unusual opponent before the regular season starts.