By most measures—on the graded curve that Portland resides on, anyway—the Portland Trail Blazers had a fairly successful 2025-26 season. The won 42 games, made the playoffs, and lost in the first round to the eventual conference champions, the team that’s likely to fall in the NBA Finals by a combined margin of about three points. Deni Avdija became an NBA All-Star. Scoot Henderson came out of his shell. Jrue Holiday proved there was still gas in the tank and Donovan Clingan learned how to convert
his giant-sized frame into real production. There’s plenty to be happy with in Blazers Nation.
None of these events are endpoints, of course. They’re meant to signal the next step into something greater. But what will that something be?
Obviously every team strives to compete for the league championship. That’s the ultimate goal. But the distance between the Blazers and a trophy is still approximately 62.5 Hood-to-Coast runs. The question at hand for Blazers fans today is, “What is the next goal?” Last year it was easy: reach the playoffs! They did it. Knowing that, what becomes the guiding mantra for 2026-27?
The answer isn’t as simple. That’s why we’re opening this post about it. Share your thoughts in the comments section below. What should the team aim for the coming year be? We look forward to reading your thoughts!
