The Portland Trail Blazers start next season at home at the Moda Center against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, Oct. 23. The Blazers’ 2024-25 schedule is pretty standard, but there are still a few notable takeaways at first glance.
Including games televised by ESPN, TNT, ABC and the NBA, the Blazers have four nationally televised games scheduled for 2024-25. The four games are (Pacific time):
December 26: Jazz at Blazers, 7:00 p.m., NBA TV
January 28: Bucks vs. Blazers, 7 p.m., TNT
March 2: Blazers vs. Cavaliers, 12:30 p.m., NBA TV
March 30: Blazers vs. Knicks, 3 p.m., NBA TV
That’s tied for the lowest amount in the league with the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors.
Not counting NBA TV, which many fans don’t have, the Blazers have just one nationally televised game, Damian Lillard’s long-awaited return to Portland. That’s understandable and unsurprising for a team that won 21 games last season and is actively trying to lose games to secure a higher draft pick in 2025. But it’s remarkable nonetheless, especially considering that six teams — the Lakers, Warriors, Celtics, Knicks, Mavericks and Suns — have at least 30 nationally televised games on their schedule.
The great news for Rip City fans is that the Blazers are ending their contract with ROOT Sports a year early and transition to a wireless networkwhich should make the games much more accessible.
It was going to be tough for the Blazers to get off to a fast start in the 2024-25 season, but the schedule makes life even tougher for Portland at the start of the season; 27 of their first 29 games to kick off the season are against Western Conference teams. The next matchups? The 76ers, Lakers, and Bucks. By that point, the Blazers will be well into the new year and could realistically be less than 10 wins.
Typically, younger players get more roles and opportunities when a team is on the verge of being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs at the end of the season. However, the demanding schedule could cause the Blazers to turn to their up-and-comers sooner than expected if things go south quickly. It could also play a role in the Blazers selling established pieces at the trade deadline.
