3 Blazers Whose Portland Futures Are On the Line This Season

The Portland Trail Blazers will utilize the upcoming season as a chance to dictate how this era of the franchise moves in the coming years.

It's a transitional year for the Blazers, who are incorporating a new head coach in Micah Nori, as well as Ja Morant, who was acquired in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies during the offseason. The Blazers have just four players under contract this season that aren't on the books for 2027-28, but those people are fringe rotation pieces.

Here's a look at three players outside of those future unrestricted free agents whose futures in Portland will likely be dictated based on how this season goes.

Scoot Henderson

Restricted Free Agent: 2027

Henderson is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and he is set to become a restricted free agent in the summer. Once thought of as the future franchise point guard, Henderson has not lived up to those expectations. He has had ups and downs since arriving in Portland three years ago, but there's reason to believe he could be swinging in the right direction for the upcoming season.

Even though Morant and Damian Lillard will block his ability to play in the starting lineup, Henderson has the potential to take another step in the right direction for the upcoming season. He averaged a career low in minutes per game during the 2025-26 campaign, but he had his highest scoring average of his career with 14.2 points per game.

His efficiency is up, and if he can learn how to play a sound role within the offense, there's reason to believe the Blazers will sign him to a long-term extension in the summer.

Yang Hansen

Team Option: 2027

Yang has a team option for the 2027-28 season that needs to be exercised before the end of next month. There is reason to believe the Blazers will follow through with that, even though the No. 16 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft struggled to see the court in his rookie year.

Portland has no reason to think they will move off of his contract quite yet. The team knows Yang is a developmental project, and he deserves a little bit more time to get acclimated in the NBA. If the Blazers decline that team option, there is a good chance he likely won't be with Portland by the start of next season.

Even if the team option is accepted, Yang has to improve from his rookie year. If Yang can show improvement from last year to this year, he could carve out a role as the team's backup center next season over Robert Williams III, who only has a partially-guaranteed deal for 2027-28.

Deni Avdija

Unrestricted Free Agent: 2028

Avdija won't hit free agency until 2028, but this year will determine how much he is offered in potential extension talks next season. Coming off an All-Star appearance in 2026, Avdija is entering the prime of his career, and Portland would be smart to build around him for the future.

The Blazers have him on a very team-friendly deal, and they should make the most out of it while he is under affordable money. If he continues to perform at an All-Star level this season, he should be reaching close to a max extension come summertime. If he regresses due to Morant and Lillard coming in and dipping into his usage rate, he may not receive the entirety of his potential earnings.

The Blazers should build around Avdija if he continues to play like he did last season. This will be an opportunity for him to prove whether last year was a fluke or if it's part of the norm.

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