Suns-Trail Blazers Injury Report: Pair of Key Players Headline

The Phoenix Suns (0-0) are opening up the 2026-27 regular season in a road battle against the Portland Trail Blazers (0-0) on Wednesday night.

This is the first time the two teams are facing off since April's play-in game that the Trail Blazers stole late in the contest. It's also the debut of Ja Morant for the Blazers and Miles Bridges for the Suns. 

There were several players entering this game a with tedious status, but the picture is clearing up as the game gets closer.

Below is Tuesday night's Suns-Blazers injury report:

Suns

Out: Mark Williams (Left Shoulder Surgery)

Questionable: G Luke Kennard (Left Knee Tendinopathy)

Blazers

Out: C Branden Carlson, G/F Chris Youngblood, G Shaedon Sharpe

Questionable: F Deni Avdija (Right Ankle Soreness), Micah Potter 

The Williams absence has been in the fold for over a month at this point, as the incumbent starting center is likely out until February due to a labrum tear.

Bridges and center Oso Ighodaro are no longer on the injury report, which is an incredible sign for the team. While the starting center has yet to be revealed, Ighodaro being available gifts Jordan Ott the option to mix-and-match against an imposing Portland front-line.

The Suns are also set to reap the benefits of having guard Jalen Green available for the opening game of the season, a luxury they didn't have 12 months ago. Expect Green and Bridges to play massive roles in driving the Phoenix offense on Wednesday.

Kennard left the game against the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 14 after landing awkwardly on a dribble-drive. Ott seems hopeful that Kennard will play, but he carries the questionable tag. The Duke product being able to play will be a massive development for a Phoenix bench unit that owns quality shooting, but he serves as the most battle-tested of them.

Avdija carrying the questionable tag into Wednesday opens a number of intriguing possibilities for both teams. On Portland's part, there's a chance that first-year head coach experiments with a three-guard lineup of Damian Lillard/Ja Morant/Jrue Holiday, which has a chance to stretch the Phoenix defense out across the span of the court.

The injury bug seems to be impacting the Trail Blazers more than Phoenix in the opening game between the two, but the conditions are still setting up for a very competitive contest between two Western Conference playoff hopefuls.