The Portland Trail Blazers have finalized their training camp spots and are set to roll out their new-look roster in early October preseason games.
The Portland Trail Blazers have retooled their roster following last year’s success story and should be itching for a test drive on their new roster. Preseason play should give us a little insight on whether or not this ride gets enough mileage to take them all the way through June and if any of the optional add-ons are worth purchasing for the journey.
Training Camp Roster
- #0 Damian Lillard, G, USA
- #1 Anfernee Simons, G, USA
- #2 Gary Trent Jr., G, USA
- #3 CJ McCollum, G, USA
- #4 Moses Brown, C, USA
- #5 Rodney Hood, G/F, USA
- #6 Jaylen Hoard, F, France
- #8 London Perrantes, G, USA
- #9 Nassir Little, F, USA
- #10 Troy Caupain, G, USA
- #16 Pau Gasol, C, Spain
- #17 Skal Labissiere, F/C, USA
- #21 Hassan Whiteside, C, USA
- #24 Kent Bazemore, G/F, USA
- #27 Jusuf Nurkic, C, Bosnia
- #33 Zach Collins, F/C, USA
- #43 Anthony Tolliver, F, USA
- #44 Mario Hezonja, F, Croatia
Of the 18 players on this year’s training camp roster, only 8 were present for last year’s playoff run. Having so many moving parts may make things a bit more difficult for the Portland Trail Blazers to start the season, which is why establishing continuity and a positive chemistry during training camp is even more crucial.
As the Blazers’ lone draft pick this summer, Nassir Little will be fighting to prove himself and earn a spot in the rotation. Likewise, Jaylen Hoard will look to build off his Summer League success after going undrafted and signing a two-way contract with Portland.
However, their path doesn’t look nearly as arduous when compared to the players Portland signed to Exhibit 10 contracts. Moses Brown, Troy Caupain and London Perrantes will all battle it out for the opportunity to secure the Blazers’ final roster spot or two-way contract. If they fail, it may be the last time they ever step on an NBA court again.
Here’s a look at the handful of games these players will have a chance to impress in.
Preseason schedule
- HOME, October 8, vs. Denver Nuggets
- HOME, October 10, vs. Maccabi Haifa
- HOME, October 12, Phoenix Suns
- AWAY, October 16, @ Utah Jazz
- AWAY, October 17, @ Denver Nuggets
Portland’s preseason schedule is particularly interesting because it involves three games against the two other contending teams in the Northwest Division. These games will offer the opportunity to feel one another out before the game’s actually start to have real consequences. Properly identifying any holes or weaknesses in the Nuggets or Jazz during the preseason would be an enormous advantage for the Blazers.
Their exhibition game against Maccabi Haifa could also prove to be a fun event, as the Israeli based basketball team comes to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers at the Moda Center. The NBA’s experimentation with international play should be highly encouraged. After all, just take a look at how the Portland Trail Blazers’ roster would look if you removed all of the international players.