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It was an interesting season for Portland, as the Blazers made it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021 on the shoulders of an interesting mixture of youth and seasoned veterans.
Deni Avdija turned into an All-Star, Donovan Clingan began shooting 3s, Jrue Holiday turned back the clock, and Toumani Camara kept drawing offensive fouls.
Times are promising in Portland, which only makes the fan base that much more curious as to what's next.
Will the Blazers accelerate their timeline with Damian Lillard coming back next season?
Or will they try to go younger and lean into the part of the core that remains more theoretical?
Hell, could they use the fact that they have Milwaukee's picks to make a play for Giannis Antetokounmpo?
The beauty is in the road ahead, even if we don't truly know where it leads.
Record: 42-40, 8th in the Western Conference. Eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the first round.
Unquestionably, the biggest highlight was the confirmation that Avdija was indeed a star level player. After finishing last year playing pretty well, questions lingered about the legitimacy of his improvements. Those questions were thoroughly silenced this season with his All-Star nod and line of 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists.
Jrue Holiday
Jerami Grant
Shaedon Sharpe
Toumani Camara
Scoot Henderson
Damian Lillard
Deni Avdija
Donovan Clingan
Kris Murray
Yang Hansen
Robert Williams (UFA)
Caleb Love (UFA)
$164,763,510
None
While the Blazers could use an exception, it remains to be seen if new owner Tom Dundon is interested in spending money. So far, he's tried to save as much as possible, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the organization's willingness to invest or spend.
The Blazers are by no means stuck, but they do need to figure out which path to lean into. There's a young core that's good, not great, and the same can be said of the veterans. They could go all-in on someone, or they could trade into the draft and accumulate assets for the future. It would be great for Portland to keep the positive momentum going, but there are a lot of variables to its situation.
Continue reading...
Deni Avdija turned into an All-Star, Donovan Clingan began shooting 3s, Jrue Holiday turned back the clock, and Toumani Camara kept drawing offensive fouls.
Times are promising in Portland, which only makes the fan base that much more curious as to what's next.
Will the Blazers accelerate their timeline with Damian Lillard coming back next season?
Or will they try to go younger and lean into the part of the core that remains more theoretical?
Hell, could they use the fact that they have Milwaukee's picks to make a play for Giannis Antetokounmpo?
The beauty is in the road ahead, even if we don't truly know where it leads.
2025-26 finish
Record: 42-40, 8th in the Western Conference. Eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the first round.
Highlight of the season
Unquestionably, the biggest highlight was the confirmation that Avdija was indeed a star level player. After finishing last year playing pretty well, questions lingered about the legitimacy of his improvements. Those questions were thoroughly silenced this season with his All-Star nod and line of 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists.
Players signed for next season
Jrue Holiday
Jerami Grant
Shaedon Sharpe
Toumani Camara
Scoot Henderson
Damian Lillard
Deni Avdija
Donovan Clingan
Kris Murray
Yang Hansen
Key free agents
Robert Williams (UFA)
Caleb Love (UFA)
Projected salary
$164,763,510
Draft picks
None
Roster-building tools
While the Blazers could use an exception, it remains to be seen if new owner Tom Dundon is interested in spending money. So far, he's tried to save as much as possible, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the organization's willingness to invest or spend.
Needs and goals
The Blazers are by no means stuck, but they do need to figure out which path to lean into. There's a young core that's good, not great, and the same can be said of the veterans. They could go all-in on someone, or they could trade into the draft and accumulate assets for the future. It would be great for Portland to keep the positive momentum going, but there are a lot of variables to its situation.
Continue reading...
