Portland Trail Blazers vs Detroit Pistons: preview and player stats (Dec 27, 2026)

Head coach Micah Nori said Morant met with a doctor in Los Angeles, who gave him a positive outlook on his recovery from the hamstring injury. While Nori declined to update Morant's timetable, he added Morant "may not be out for as long as we thought," Trail Blazers Insider Sean Highkin reports. Morant was initially given a four-week timetable after he suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain on Oct. 30. It sounds like he's making solid progress, though it would be surprising to see him beat that timetable given the tricky nature of hamstring injuries. Scoot Henderson will continue to start in his absence and there will be more minutes available for Jrue Holiday.

Sharpe suffered a torn meniscus in his knee and is expected to miss six months, per Shams Charania of ESPN. It's a tough blow to the Trail Blazers' depth on the wing ahead of training camp. Sharpe, who is now likely to be sidelined until after the All-Star break, had been ticketed for a reserve role behind Toumani Camara following an injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign, which saw average a career-high 20.8 points, 1.4 steals and 2.1 three-pointers per game over 50 regular-season appearances. The door is now open for Vit Krejci and Jeremy Sochan to compete for bench minutes during camp.

Krejci underwent surgery on his fractured left ankle Wednesday and will be re-evaluated in eight weeks, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.com reports. Krejci suffered the ankle injury in last Wednesday's win over the Suns and is set to miss an extended period after undergoing surgery. With the 26-year-old and Ja Morant (hamstring) both on the shelf, Jrue Holiday and Sidy Cissoko should continue seeing increased minutes.

Youngblood has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Thunder. Youngblood came down awkwardly following a fastbreak layup attempt at the start of the fourth quarter and didn't return. He's recently carved out a role in Portland, averaging 14.8 minutes per game over the past five games, so in his absence, Sidy Cissoko and Scoot Henderson are candidates for increased roles.

Injury/Illness - Right Hamstring Strain (2026-11-12, DET@WAS). Prior reporting (2026-11-08): Duren (hamstring) has begun on-court activity and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reports. Duren is progressing in his rehab after suffering a right hamstring strain Oct. 23, though he'll remain on the inactive list for at least the next two weeks while ramping up toward a return to game action. Paul Reed should continue to play a sizable role in Duren's stead.

Injury/Illness - Right Hip Contusion (2026-11-12, DET@WAS). Prior reporting (2026-11-09): Joe (hip) is out for Monday against the Wizards. Joe is missing a seventh consecutive contest with a bruised hip. His next chance to play comes Thursday in a road rematch with Washington.

G League - Two-Way (2026-11-12, DET@WAS).

G League - On Assignment (2026-11-12, DET@WAS).

G League - Two-Way (2026-11-12, DET@WAS).

G League - On Assignment (2026-11-12, DET@WAS).

G League - Two-Way (2026-11-12, DET@WAS). Prior reporting (2026-11-11): Onyenso agreed to a two-way contract with the Pistons on Thursday. The No. 53 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Onyenso appears poised to see run in the G League after putting pen to paper on a two-way deal. He'll likely face an uphill battle to carve out a role in the rotation, so Detroit will presumably allow him to continue his development with Motor City.