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The Portland Trail Blazers got a notable Jerami Grant update ahead of the biggest game of their season.

Grant has been listed as questionable for Tuesday’s play-in matchup against the Phoenix Suns after missing the final seven games of the regular season with a right calf strain. That is an encouraging step for Portland, but it is still a concerning development given both the injury itself and the timing.

And the timing could hardly be more important.

Portland clinched the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference on Sunday by beating the Sacramento Kings, setting up a 7-vs.-8 play-in game against Phoenix. The winner grabs the No. 7 seed and advances to face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The loser is not eliminated, but would be pushed into a second do-or-die game later this week against the winner of the Warriors-Clippers matchup.

That makes Grant’s status one of the biggest things to watch heading into Tuesday night.

UPDATE, 8:38 p.m. ET, April 14: Jerami Grant will play, per Tiago Splitter. 

Jerami Grant has been dealing with a right calf strain

Grant’s current issue is a right calf strain, an injury that first surfaced late last month after he exited a loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Reporting at the time indicated there was no structural damage, but Grant described feeling a “pop” in his calf, which naturally raised concern for Portland.

Since then, the veteran forward has been unavailable down the stretch while the Blazers tried to secure their postseason position. He was still listed as out for Portland’s regular-season finale against Sacramento on April 12, but Monday’s questionable designation at least opens the door for a return against Phoenix.

That matters because Grant is still one of Portland’s most important offensive pieces when healthy, and a core defender, too. He averaged 18.6 points in 57 regular-season games, giving the Blazers a proven half-court scorer and another veteran option next to Deni Avdija, Jrue Holiday and the rest of Portland’s younger core.

Why Grant’s status matters so much for the Blazers

Even if Portland has played inspired basketball to get here, this is still a high-leverage game against a Phoenix team that finished seventh and now gets home court in the play-in. The Blazers are chasing their first playoff appearance since 2021, so every available scoring option matters.

Grant’s value is not only about points.

He gives Portland lineup flexibility at forward, a reliable shot-maker in late-clock situations, and one more veteran presence in a game that will feature real postseason pressure. That experience has mattered inside Portland’s locker room, especially with the Blazers bringing several younger players toward their first taste of this kind of atmosphere.

There is also a basketball reason this stands out against Phoenix specifically. The Blazers and Suns did not see each other at full strength much this season, and lineup availability has changed the shape of the matchup throughout the year. If Grant can go, Portland would at least have a better chance to match Phoenix’s size and scoring on the wing.

For now, questionable is better than out, but it is still enough to create some real concern.

A calf strain is not the kind of injury a team treats lightly, especially this late in the year. And if Grant is limited or unable to play, the Blazers would enter a win-and-you’re-in game without one of their top veteran scorers after already navigating a long injury list for much of the season.

So while Portland did well just to get into the play-in field, Tuesday’s matchup in Phoenix suddenly comes with an even more important subplot: whether Jerami Grant is healthy enough to help keep the Blazers’ season alive.