The Portland Trail Blazers have been mired in mediocrity for quite some time now, failing to make the playoffs in each of the last four seasons. The Trail Blazers did show some signs of life in the second half of the 2024-25 campaign, though, going 23-18 in their last 41 games.
The Trail Blazers are looking to build on that stretch and have brought in two veterans this offseason in Jrue Holiday and, most recently, Damian Lillard. Lillard, who is currently recovering from a torn Achilles, is set to sign a three-year, $42 million deal to return home, and the Trail Blazers’ lineup when he gets healthy looks promising.
Starting Lineup
PG – Damian Lillard
SG – Jrue Holiday
SF – Shaedon Sharpe
PF – Deni Avdija
C – Donovan Clingan
Lillard himself is the biggest question mark in this lineup, as there’s no way to know just how good he will be once he returns. The nine-time All-Star averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024-25, and it would be unrealistic to expect him to put up similar numbers.
The best-case scenario might be Lillard playing at a borderline All-Star level. That would be an upgrade on what the Trail Blazers have had at the point guard spot since his departure.
Lillard’s backcourt partner would be Holiday, whom he was traded for back in 2023. The Trail Blazers sent the veteran to the Boston Celtics not long after and have now brought him back.
Holiday averaged 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game for the Celtics in 2024-25. He is just a year removed from making the All-Defensive Second Team and is the ideal partner for a guard like Lillard.
Shaedon Sharpe would join the two veterans on the perimeter, and he is coming off his best season in the NBA. Sharpe averaged 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game for the Trail Blazers in 2024-25. The 22-year-old can frustrate at times, but now has two experienced campaigners to guide him.
Next, we get to Deni Avdija, who impressed in his first season with the Trail Blazers. Avdija averaged 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in 2024-25 after arriving via trade from the Washington Wizards. He averaged 23.3 points after the All-Star break, and the Trail Blazers would love for him to keep that up moving forward.
Lastly, we get to Donovan Clingan, who had a promising rookie season after being selected with the seventh pick. Clingan averaged 6.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game in 2024-25.
The Trail Blazers’ cutting ties with Deandre Ayton was a sign of their belief in Clingan. They’re backing him to take some strides once he has some more experience under his belt, and he does have the tools to become a force on the defensive end.
In all, that’s an intriguing starting lineup.
Bench
PG – Scoot Henderson, Caleb Love
SG – Toumani Camara, Rayan Rupert
SF – Matisse Thybulle, Cidy Sissoko
PF – Jerami Grant, Kris Murray
C – Robert Williams III, Yang Hansen
The Blazers would have a solid bench unit along with that starting five as well.
Scoot Henderson, the third pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, showed promise as a sophomore. With Lillard set to miss an extended period of time, Henderson will get a fair bit of playing time to perhaps even stake his claim as a starter, and he is certainly one to keep an eye on here.
Toumani Camara and Matisse Thybulle are two excellent defensive options, and the former was a starter last season. Camara made the All-Defensive Second Team in 2025 and could well end up keeping his place in the lineup once Lillard returns.
Jerami Grant, meanwhile, can provide a scoring punch off the bench, and a healthy Robert Williams III is a great anchor on defense. As for Yang Hansen, he has been making waves in the Summer League, and it will be interesting to see his progression during his rookie season.
Thybulle and Williams could be gone by the time Lillard returns, but this would still be an effective bench unit without them.
Conclusion
Is this Trail Blazers roster good enough for them to become a serious title contender? Almost certainly not. If this were Lillard in his prime, you would perhaps give them a shot, but he won’t be the same.
That, in turn, means someone like Sharpe would have to take a major leap for the Trail Blazers to get into the mix. Avdija will also need to keep up that stellar level of play post the break, and, at this point, it’s hard to say if either of those things will happen.
The Trail Blazers have a lot of good pieces, but they’re missing that superstar that you need to become a title contender. You can make a lot of noise without one and even get into the playoffs, but a championship is beyond reach at the moment.
