Ja Morant, Damian Lillard Potentially Being Used in Bench Role Discussed by HC Ahead of NBA Season

With Damian Lillard set to return from injury and Ja Morant being added to the mix following an offseason trade, the Portland Trail Blazers' starting backcourt going into the 2026-27 NBA season is still being decided upon.

Blazers head coach Micah Nori told The Athletic's Jason Quick he plans to use the preseason to tinker with the starting lineup before deciding if either Lillard or Morant will come off the bench when the regular season tips off.

"It's not set in stone, but probably, because I'm leaning toward wanting to see what it looks like," Nori said. "And … I don't want to start a fire before I need to."

Nori's comments come after Lillard told reporters on Tuesday "as far as I know" he, Morant and Deni Avdija will all be in the starting lineup.

Lillard also said he hadn't discussed the starting five with Nori thus far. The Blazers also have Jrue Holiday as another point guard option on the roster.

According to Quick, Nori pointed out that starting Morant and Lillard "doesn't make sense" given how limited both players are defensively, which could make Holiday a more appealing option for the opening lineup.

Portland's acquisition of Morant was regarded with some confusion because of the presence of Lillard and Holiday.

B/R's Dan Favale gave the Blazers' side of the deal a "D" grade due to a combination of the players already on the team and Morant's style of play not being "particularly adaptable."

The cost to acquire Morant was so low for Portland — it only cost Jerami Grant and Kris Murray with no draft picks going back to the Memphis Grizzlies — that there's no significant risk beyond the roughly $87 million Morant is owed over the next two seasons.

Morant also offers some flexibility if Lillard is limited early in the season as he works his way back from a torn Achilles suffered on April 27, 2025. Lillard's shooting touch in practice looks to be just fine, but we have yet to see how it will play in actual games.

Our first look at the second Lillard run in Portland could come as early as Oct. 7 when the team opens preseason play against the Golden State Warriors.