Category: Portland Trail Blazers Blog

The Portland Trail Blazers have exercised the 2025-26 team contract option on the Rookie Scale contracts of guards Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and forward Kris Murray.

Sharpe, the 7th overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft by the Trail Blazers, posted 15.9 points (40.6% FG, 33.3% 3-PT, 82.4% FT), 5.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.9 steals in 33.1 minutes per game in 32 games (25 starts) during the 2023-24 season and earned a 2024 Rising Stars selection at All-Star weekend. The second-year guard holds career averages of 11.6 points (44.5% FG, 35.0% 3-PT, 77.2% FT), 3.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.6 steals and 25.3 minutes per game in 112 career games (40 starts) in two seasons with Portland.

During his rookie campaign, Henderson averaged 14.0 points (32.5% 3-PT, 81.9% FT), 3.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists and 28.5 minutes per game in 62 games (32 starts) for the Trail Blazers and ranked amongst rookies first in assists per game (5.4), first in total assists (336), fifth in points per game (14.0) and sixth in total points (868).

In his first season out of Iowa, Murray accrued averages of 6.1 points (39.6% FG, 26.8% 3-PT, 66.1% FT), 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.9 steals and 21.7 minutes per game in 62 games (29 starts) in his rookie season.

The Portland Trail Blazers recently signed guard James Bouknight to an Exhibit-10 contract.

In three seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, Bouknight accrued career averages of 4.8 points (33.5% 3-PT, 76.2% FT), 1.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 11.4 minutes per game in 79 career games for the Hornets. During the 2023-24 season, the former 11th overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft shot a career-high 43.3% from three.

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced today that it has awarded Portland, Oregon, the league’s 15th franchise. The Portland team, set to begin play in the 2026 season, will be owned and operated by RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal. Portland is the third expansion franchise awarded by the WNBA during this round of expansion, following the Golden State Valkyries and a Toronto franchise, bringing the league from 12 to 15 teams.

“As the WNBA builds on a season of unprecedented growth, bringing a team back to Portland is another important step forward,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “Portland has been an epicenter of the women’s sports movement and is home to a passionate community of basketball fans. Pairing this energy with the Bhathal family’s vision of leading top-flight professional sports teams will ensure that we deliver a premier WNBA team to the greater Portland area.”

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed guard Taze Moore to a Two-Way contract, it was announced today by Trail Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin.

Moore originally signed a 10-day contract with the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 20, 2024, then signed for the rest of the season on April 14. He appeared in four games during 2023-24 NBA season for Portland and totaled 18 points (8-19 FG, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. In the season finale for the Trail Blazers on April 14, Moore scored a career-high 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes at the Sacramento Kings.

The Houston alum appeared in 22 games for the Trail Blazers NBA G League affiliate, Rip City Remix during the 2023-24 season, accruing averages of 15.6 points (49.8% FG, 35.1% 3-PT, 73.3% FT), 5.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 30.7 minutes per game. Moore was originally acquired by the Rip City Remix on Jan. 11.

The Portland Trail Blazers will tip-off their four-game 2024-25 preseason schedule with a matchup against the LA Clippers, who will host the Trail Blazers in Seattle, Wash. at Climate Pledge Arena on Friday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. PT. The Clippers matchup marks the second time the teams have faced off in Seattle for a preseason game, the first occurring during the 2022-23 preseason.

The Trail Blazers will then travel to Sacramento to take on the Kings at Golden 1 Center on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 3 p.m. PT before returning home to Portland to kick off the preseason homestand.

Portland will host Ratiopharm Ulm of the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) at Moda Center on Wednesday, Oct. 16 and then will conclude the preseason schedule vs. UTA on Friday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. PT.

The Portland Trail Blazers recently named Ronnie Burrell as an assistant coach on Head Coach Chauncey Billups’ staff.

Burrell joins the Trail Blazers after most recently spending the 2023-24 season as an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets. Prior to joining Brooklyn, Burrell spent the 2022-23 season as the head coach of the Nets’ NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets. Burrell led Long Island to a 23-9 overall record in the regular season, tied for the second-best record in the NBA G League and earned NBA G League Coach of the Year honors.

Prior to rejoining the Nets organization ahead of the 2022-23 season, Burrell spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach with the College Park Skyhawks, the NBA G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks, and the previous season as a player development coordinator with the Chicago Bulls. The Montclair, N.J., native previously played 11 professional seasons (2005-2016) in France, Germany and Poland after a four-year collegiate playing career (2001-05) at UNC Greensboro.

The Portland Trail Blazers recently signed guard Devonte’ Graham, team General Manager Joe Cronin announced.

Graham appeared in 23 games with San Antonio last season, recording 5.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.4 steals in 13.6 minutes per game. In 336 games (171 starts) over six seasons with San Antonio, New Orleans and Charlotte, he holds career averages of 11.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 0.8 steals in 24.9 minutes per game. Graham is one of only eight players in NBA history who have accrued at least 1,000 assists and 700 three-pointers through their first 300 career games.

The Portland Trail Blazers recently re-signed forward Justin Minaya to a two-way contract, it was announced by General Manager Joe Cronin.

Minaya appeared in 34 games (one start) for the Trail Blazers last season. In 20 games (19 starts) with the Rip City Remix during the 2023-24 G League regular season and Showcase Cup, he recorded 13.7 points (43.8% FG, 33.6% 3-PT), 6.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks in 32.0 minutes per game.