Blazers Backcourt Logjam: Why Ja Morant Could End Up a Bench Guy

Portland has a problem most teams would envy: too many ball-dominant guards. After trading for Ja Morant this offseason and bringing Damian Lillard back last summer, the Blazers now have three creators — Morant, Lillard and breakout All-Star Deni Avdija — fighting for two backcourt spots. Lillard told reporters at Tuesday's camp session he expects to start alongside both. Rookie head coach Micah Nori isn't so sure, reportedly saying a Lillard-Morant backcourt makes little sense.

The numbers back Nori. Avdija is the youngest and most productive of the trio, posting 24.2 points, 6.9 boards and 6.7 assists across 66 games last season (2025-26, actual) and landing at #16 overall in our rankings. He's the one locked into the lineup. Pairing him with two more high-usage, non-shooting guards would crowd the floor and hand Portland what would likely be the league's worst defensive backcourt.

The Basketball Case for Benching Morant

Lillard fits the starting group cleanly — his shooting lets him play off the ball while Avdija operates, and his pick-and-roll gravity opens lanes that didn't exist last year. A healthy Lillard averaged 42.6 fantasy points per game in 58 appearances back in 2024-25 (actual), and he's our #18 overall guy. Slide Morant to the bench and he gets to own the second unit, maximizing the minutes where he actually does his best work rather than sharing touches with two other primary handlers.

The catch is that Morant's value is almost entirely tied to having the ball. His shooting and defense don't scale down. On a Memphis team built around him that was fine; in Portland, surrounded by Avdija, Lillard, Scoot Henderson and an eventually-returning Shaedon Sharpe, it's a tougher fit. Morant has come off the bench just twice in his career, both injury-related, and he's a 27-year-old on a max deal with two years left. No one gets excited about that conversation.

What It Means for Fantasy

Here's the frustrating part for managers: Morant's recent flashes were real. He put up 19.5 points and 8.1 assists in 20 games (2025-26, actual) and his last-five-game form sat +7.6 fantasy points above his average — the trend was pointing up. But he still sits at just #49 overall (#22 among guards), and a bench role would clip his minutes and cap that ceiling. Avdija, by contrast, is the safe anchor here; he's trending +6.1 over his last five and isn't going anywhere.

Our read: don't overpay for Morant on draft night or in a trade until the rotation shakes out. Nori plans to start Lillard and Morant together in the preseason and let the court decide — the Westbrook-at-the-Clippers playbook looms. Draft Morant as a boom-bust guard with real downside, keep Avdija as a top-20 lock, and treat a healthy Lillard as a strong value if his minutes and role hold. Watch the preseason box scores closely before committing.