Oct 5, 2026 12:00 PM
Witness the debut of the Lillard-Morant backcourt and track roster battles as Portland navigates a unique four-game slate, including a rare international matchup and back-to-back challenges.
The Portland Trail Blazers have four preseason games lined up before the 2026-27 regular season begins on Oct. 21 at Moda Center against the Phoenix Suns. The slate starts this week on Wednesday and ends five days before the opener.
Wednesday, Oct. 7: vs. Golden State Warriors, 7 p.m.
Portland's first preseason game is at home. It's the first chance for fans to see Damian Lillard and Ja Morant share the floor; their fit has been described as smooth throughout the first week of training camp.
Preseason minutes are often limited for veterans, so how much each plays together is something worth monitoring.
Monday, Oct. 12: vs. London Lions, 1 p.m.
An early afternoon tipoff against the London Lions gives Portland a non-NBA opponent. Games like this tend to be a chance for younger players and players on the fringe of the roster to compete for roster spots and even healthy minutes early in the regular season.
The Lions compete in Super League Basketball and the EuroCup. The only former NBA player on the Lions is Maxwell Lewis. Lewis was drafted 40th overall in the 2023 NBA draft. He won an In-Season Tournament with the Los Angeles Lakers and played for the Brooklyn Nets before joining the Lions.
Tuesday, Oct. 13: at Sacramento Kings, 7 p.m.
The Blazers travel to Sacramento the next night, a peculiar home-road back-to-back during the preseason. Teams typically have free rein over their preseason schedules, so the setup stands out.
This gives coach Micah Nori's staff a taste of what's to come during the regular season and exercises their ability to manage rest and recharging for a back-to-back.
Friday, Oct. 16: at Golden State Warriors, 7 p.m.
Portland closes the preseason with a rematch against Golden State, this time at Chase Center. It's the last chance to settle the roster and finalize opening-week rotations.
That Oct. 21 opening night will come with plenty of buzz. It will be Lillard's first regular-season game in a Blazers uniform since March 22, 2023, and Morant's debut with the franchise. The opener is also a rematch of last season's play-in game.
The Blazers open with a gauntlet of road games during the first month. Portland plays 12 of its first 17 games on the road and has two six-game road trips before the end of the calendar year.
The preseason offers a useful test of how Nori manages minutes, the Oct. 12-13 back-to-back and how much he leans on Lillard and Morant.
Comments
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy