Portland Trail Blazers Veteran Relegated to the Bench to Start the New Season

The Portland Trail Blazers are building a very talented young core, and with some good veterans around them, this team has a chance to surprise many in 2025–26. One player that they've prioritized in recent years is talented forward Jerami Grant, but for the upcoming season, it appears as though he's not quite as important to this starting lineup as he once was.

After signing Grant to a five-year, $160 million deal in the summer of 2023 following his trade the season prior, he's played in 164 games for the team, averaging a very solid 19 points per game in that time. However, he appears to be taking a step back this season, with the team expected to announce that he will officially move to the bench this year.

Not only that, but Grant makes history, becoming the most expensive player to ever play in their team's season opener while coming off the bench. This isn't quite what the Blazers expected when they signed Grant to his extension two years ago. Still, with Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija emerging at the forward position, this is certainly the right decision from Portland's coaching staff.

Last year, Grant averaged 14 points a night, his worst in three seasons with Portland, and with the veteran shooting just 37% from the field, they are hoping the move to the bench can spark the best out of him.

For the upcoming season, not much is expected of this Blazers team in the incredibly brutal Western Conference. Still, with Damian Lillard back in the picture alongside Jrue Holiday, the future once again looks very bright for this organization.