The Portland Trail Blazers are expected to be near the bottom of the Western Conference again next season. After moving on from All-NBA point guard Damian Lillard last season, Portland is in the midst of a rebuild and is looking more toward the future of the organization.
The Trail Blazers have several young players who could be a part of the team in the future. Names like Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Donovan Clingan should all play significant roles this season as the team evaluates everything.
Portland has a few other players on the roster who could make the team but are also easier to replace. The team received trade offers for point guard Anfernee Simons, center Robert Williams III and forward Jerami Grant this summer, but so far, nothing has materialized.
The question remains who will the Trail Blazers prioritize in building the future?
NBA insider David Aldridge of The Athletic wrote: on pieces that Portland could keep to use as a core going forward.
“That could change overnight. The Blazers have several veterans under contract through 2026 who could be interesting elsewhere (Deandre Ayton/Jerami Grant/Williams) and younger players like Shaedon Sharpe and Toumani Camara who are also intriguing. Assuming Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons and Clingan and 23-year-old Avdija form Portland’s core going forward, Portland could quickly become a prime seller and stock up on future picks and young players. Right now, though, the Blazers are at the bottom of the Western Conference, and there’s no particular reason to believe they can move up. And that’s coming from someone who likes Clingan and thinks he can be a big player in the league.”
Portland will want to see what some of the younger players do this season to gauge the future. With all the talent in the Western Conference, the Trail Blazers need to have at least six quality players to compete on a nightly basis.
With the core pieces in place, Portland can then begin to fully optimize the team to contend for a title. It may take some time, but the Trail Blazers are in a good position despite the lack of expected wins for the upcoming season.
Having a young core gives Portland some hope for the future, although fans will have to be patient.
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