Send us a text

On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...

• The release of the Trail Blazers' 2025-26 regular season schedule

• A breakdown of Portland's schedule including the number of back-to-backs and miles traveled this season

• The number of Blazers games per month and day of the week

• The Trail Blazers having significantly more national "tv" games this season

• The Emirates NBA Cup schedule for West Group C which includes the Trail Blazers

• Betting odds for making the knockout round at the 2025 NBA Cup

• The report that the Trail Blazers are being sold to a group headed by Tom Dundan for roughly $4.25 billion

Send us a text

On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...

• Jrue Holiday being introduced to the media Tuesday at the Trail Blazers' practice facility

• Jrue Holiday's thoughts on how he was treated the first time he was traded to Portland, how he heard he had been traded to Portland the second time, how he fits on the team and the role he might play, Portland's young guards Scoot and Shaedon, initial thoughts on Yang Hansen, mentorship, his relationship with Dame (and that wifi issue), being a family man, coming from a team like the Celtics to the Trail Blazers

• The tweaks the Trail Blazers have made to their Icon (black) and Association (white) jerseys and the reasoning behind those small changes

• A quick update on international competitions which various Trail Blazers' players may or may not be participating in this offseason

Send us a text

On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider discusses...

• The press conference to "re-introduce" Damian Lillard

• Lillard's comments about the role he'll play as he rehabs his Achilles injury during the 2025-26 season

• Dame's comments about the importance of mentorship, Scoot Henderson and Yang Hansen

• Dame discussing his relationship with Jrue Holiday, maybe finally getting out to the Oregon coast and his yearly basketball camp in Beaverton

• The Trail Blazers signing third-year guard Blake Wesley to their 15th roster spot

• Portland's four-game preseason schedule

• The "Pup City" event this Saturday at Moda Center (tickets available here)

Send us a text

On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...

• The Trail Blazers officially signing Damian Lillard as a free agent

• The reasons a reunion makes sense for both the team and Lillard

• The decision for both the team and Lillard being about basketball rather than nostalgia

• The Trail Blazers being in a much better place now than they were when Lillard was traded

• How Lillard helps the Trail Blazers on the court, in the locker room and in the community

• This being one of Portland's better offseason and cause for optimism in the upcoming season

• Wrapping up Yang Hansen's four-game run at the Las Vegas Summer League

• Hansen exceeding all pre Summer League expectations and if that changes anything going into the 2025-26 season

Send us a text

On yet another Las Vegas Summer League edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...

• The Trail Blazers rallying to get a win versus the Pelicans Tuesday night in Las Vegas to move to 2-1 at Summer League

• The performances of Caleb Love, D.J. Carton and Yang Hansen

• Hansen picking up the finer points of how to conduct yourself on an NBA court

• Good play allowing for good times

• The Trail Blazers all but being eliminated from the 2025 Las Vegas Summer League championship (which might be the case by the time you watch/listen)

• An interview with Hansen about getting drafted by the Trail Blazers, eating fried chicken at the 2025 NBA Draft, how he's dealing with all the attention he's received in China and the United States, being a "big dummy" around his teammates, his ability to create for others with his passing and being too hard on himself when it comes to turnovers, his relationship with his interpreter, Chris, his favorite food/musician/movie and his overarching goal for his rookie season. 

Send us a text

On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl, on location in Las Vegas, discusses...

• The Trail Blazers moving to 1-1 at the Las Vegas Summer League with a loss to the Grizzlies on Saturday

• The difficulty of playing a Summer League Back-To-Back

• Game running behind schedule (maybe due to the Summer League tournament tiebreaker)

• Yang Hansen gets his first Las Vegas Summer League poster dunk 

• Hansen's post-game comments about fitness, rebounding and improvement

• The Las Vegas Summer League standings as of the morning of July 13 and where the Trail Blazers stand in terms of making the tournament

• The Trail Blazers adding another former player, James Posey, to a remade coaching staff

• An interview with two-way rookie Caleb Love about when he got serious about basketball, his college career at North Carolina and Arizona, why he decided to sign with the Trail Blazers and his hopes for himself and the team at Summer League

Send us a text

On this edition of the Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider, on location in Las Vegas, discusses...

• Yang Hansen's Trail Blazers Summer League debut Friday night in a blowout victory versus the Warriors at Thomas & Mack Arena on the campus of UNLV

• Not being exactly sure what to expect from Hansen in his first game playing with NBA players

• Hansen getting a highlight on the first play of the game

• The passing, handle and defense Yang Hansen displayed

• The reaction in the arena and the large contingent of media following Hansen in Las Vegas

• Being surprised by the quality of Hansen's dribble drives

• Portland's front office having cause to feel validated in acquiring Hansen in the first round when no one (publicly) had him getting drafted before the second round

Send us a text

On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...

• The Trail Blazers announce their summer league roster and begin holding practices in preparation for their five-game run (at least) in Las Vegas

• Assistant coach Ronnie Burrell's thoughts on Yang Hansen's first practices as a Trail Blazer

• Yang Hansen deals with a faster pace and overcoming language issues in his first two Las Vegas Summer League practices

• Yang Hansen's teammates give their first impressions of playing alongside the rookie center out of China

• Portland's summer league games airing locally on KUNP and BlazerVision

• The July moratorium is over, meaning teams can now officially agree to free agent contracts and trades 

• Deandre Ayton and Jabari Walker say their goodbyes

Send us a text

On this edition of The Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...

• The Friday press conference to introduce Yang Hansen, who Portland traded for at the 2025 NBA Draft

• Thoughts on Hansen's first days as a Trail Blazers

• Yang overcoming language barriers and expectations going into his rookie season

• What "Hansen" means in Chinese and why it's a “great and beautiful connection” and “a wonderful arrangement by fate”

• The undrafted players the Trail Blazers have reportedly signed to two-way contracts and Exhibit 10 contracts 

• Portland's 2025 Las Vegas Summer League schedule and why every Trail Blazers fan should try to go at least once

Send us a text

On this special 2025 NBA Draft Edition of the Brief Case, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers beat reporter/Insider Casey Holdahl discusses...

• The Trail Blazers trading the draft rights to Cedric Coward for Chinese center Yang Hansen, a 2028 first-round pick and second-round picks in the 2027 and 2028 Drafts

• Portland shocking the NBA and the media by keeping their selection secret

• The reasons the Trail Blazers targeted Hansen, who they have been scouting for at least the last two years

• Is Yang Hansen "Chinese Jokic" or "Sino Sabonis" 

• The Trail Blazers having five centers on their roster