Who is Trail Blazer’s No. 1 Option? NBA Veteran Says It’s Not Ja Morant or Damian Lillard

The Portland Trail Blazers now have two franchise stars on their squad—Ja Morant and Damian Lillard. But some see this as a problem.

Who’s going to dominate the possession? Whom will the system be centered around? Will it be Ja Morant, who is still at his peak? Or will it be Dame, who has been the team’s main guy for a long time?

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Former NBA player Matt Barnes thinks neither.

Morant was the center of discussion on the All the Smoke podcast, hosted by Barnes and another former NBA player, Stephen Jackson. They both think Morant got a new lease on life after parting ways with the Memphis Grizzlies, where he built his career.

They believe Morant can right his ways. They think Nike will continue to support him. He will also feel less pressure now because he is no longer the No. 1 option. Who has that role on the Blazers? Deni Avdija.

“He doesn’t really have the pressure because he got Dame there. He Avdija who is really their number one option. You just come out and get back to doing what you love and having fun,” Barnes said in the latest episode.

“Get out there of Memphis and this is the perfect opportunity to kind of reclaim who you are.”

Jackson agreed. “Just hoop!”

Mar 18, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) holds the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Kobe Brown (24) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Avdija became an All-Star this year and finished the season averaging a career-high 24.2 points per game. He also posted 22.2 points per game in their playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs.

Ja Morant’s role with the Blazers

There has been a lot of talk about Morant’s worth before the Blazers trade. There were claims that he became untradeable while he was still with Memphis.

Does that reflect his worth on a team? Is he still a star in the league? Morant will work with a chip on his shoulder.

For now, it is still undefined how extensively he will be used by new Blazers coach Micah Nori. The Blazers have a surplus of guards right now. Aside from Morant and Lillard, they also have 2023 third overall pick Scoot Henderson and two-time champion Jrue Holiday, who was their starting point guard last season.

Nov 2, 2022; Portland, Oregon, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) passes the ball against Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9), guard Josh Hart (11), and forward Drew Eubanks (24) during the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Nori is not ruling out the possibility of Morant coming off the bench.

“I take people at their word. If you say something, and it comes to that point, I’ll just remind you, ‘Hey, you said you didn’t care,'” the rookie full time coach said back in July (via SirusXM NBA Radio)

“But more importantly, I really believe guys like Ja, Dame, and Jrue, who’ve been through it and been around the league, just want to win. Winning is the most important thing. If putting yourself in the best position to win means coming off the bench instead of starting, so be it.”

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