The Trail Blazers claimed Micah Potter off waivers on July 10, giving Portland a low-risk addition in the middle as the team continues to reshape its frontcourt. Potter’s salary will remain non-guaranteed, so the move costs Portland flexibility but not much certainty.
That is why his name is drawing attention now. Potter, 6’9", is coming off a career-high 47 games in 2025/26, when he averaged 9.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 19.3 minutes per contest while shooting.515/.423/.842. Indiana had already exercised the $2.8MM team option on his 2026/27 deal last week, then released him on Wednesday to create room beneath its first-apron hard cap so the club could sign Larry Nance Jr.
Portland, meanwhile, already has Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III, Yang Hansen and Branden Carlson at center, which makes Potter less a headline grab than a roster test. The Blazers are carrying 14 players, and the margin for a standard-season spot is thin enough that every non-guaranteed deal matters. Potter’s contract stays non-guaranteed until the league-wide salary guarantee deadline in January, so Portland can keep him through camp and into the season without fully committing.
That flexibility comes with a real basketball question. Potter is valued for his shooting, but he also allowed opponents to shoot 68.3% at the rim in 2025/26, a number that undercuts the cleanest case for him as a reliable interior option. He has previous stints with Detroit and Utah, and Portland now has to decide whether his offense is enough to outweigh the defensive tradeoff when the roster gets trimmed.
The likely answer will come from the numbers, not the optics. If Potter outperforms Branden Carlson in the battle for one of the last spots, Portland can keep him and preserve a useful, inexpensive center. If not, the Trail Blazers can move on before January without carrying a fully guaranteed contract, which is exactly why this claim was worth making in the first place.
