The Portland Trail Blazers made a splash this summer, but one roster problem still hangs over everything: they do not have enough dependable forwards.
That gap is hard to ignore when you look at the rest of the roster. Portland’s guard group is loaded, with a shoo-in Hall of Famer, another player who looked like a strong Hall of Fame candidate a few years ago, a veteran whose Hall of Fame case is already established, a former No. 3 pick, and a 23-year-old flamethrower who averaged nearly 20.8 points in 29.4 minutes per game last season.
The front line has more promise. Donovan Clingan has already given the Blazers a sturdy defensive anchor and elite offensive rebounding.
Robert Williams III, if he stays healthy, could be one of the league’s best backup bigs. Branden Carlson and Yang Hansen also have a path to becoming rotation-level players down the line, even if they still have work to do.
The trouble starts at small forward and power forward. Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara are penciled in as starters, but the depth behind them is thin. Vit Krejci and Sidy Cissoko still have not taken that next step, while Micah Potter and Jeremy Sochan are both on training camp deals.
That is why the idea of Ben Simmons keeps coming up.
Simmons remains unsigned, and on paper, he could help cover some of Portland’s biggest issues if the team is willing to take a surprise shot on him. He is not the player he once was, and that is the entire challenge.
It has been years since he was effective on the court, much less playing at an All-Star level, and his confidence has become part of the public conversation around him. He may look ready to help based on what he has shown on social media, but not many people believe his mental state is truly back where it was earlier in his career.
Still, there is always the same question: what if the 2016 No. 1 pick is finally ready? Nobody is going to know until he gets a real chance in training camp.
Portland could decide it is worth finding out. The Blazers already took a reclamation swing earlier this offseason by bringing in Ja Morant, and with Sochan and Potter competing for spots, adding Simmons to the competition would not cost them much.
It is easy to see why fans would laugh off the idea of Simmons in a Blazers uniform. The fit is awkward, especially because he cannot space the floor. But if he can handle the ball, organize the offense, and still defend wings and bigs, he might be exactly the kind of curveball Portland needs.
In Other News...
Blazers Offseason Shakeup Puts Core Players In A Tough Spot
Portlands offseason took a sharp turn with the addition of a high-profile lead guard, and the ripple effects could be felt all the way down the roster. The move gives the Blazers a very different look in the backcourt and immediately changes the way the team will have to organize its minutes, touches and late-game possessions.
For players already trying to carve out a steady place, the new setup creates real uncertainty. Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday are among the names now facing a tougher path to the kind of role they had in mind, and the Blazers will have to sort out how much overlap they can afford as the roster settles in. Portland also kept some continuity by re-signing center Jabari Williams to a three-year extension, but the bigger question now is how the team balances its new arrival with the veterans and younger pieces already on hand. [Read more 🡒]
Trail Blazers Arena Deal Is Suddenly Riding On One Standoff
The Moda Center renovation talks have become one of the biggest off-court storylines around the Trail Blazers, with the State of Oregon, Multnomah County and the City of Portland lining up a public funding package aimed at modernizing the arena. City leaders have already approved the funding resolution, putting the framework in place for a deal that would keep the building on a path toward major upgrades.
What has slowed the process is a familiar kind of standoff: the teams ownership group, led by Tom Dundon, is pushing for public money without agreeing to the rent and in-lieu-of-tax payments the city wants attached. Negotiations are still active, but the clock is real, with December set as the deadline to finalize the agreements needed for the bond sales that would finance Oregons share. [Read more 🡒]
Deni Avdija Could Be The Key To Portlands New Identity
Deni Avdija spent much of last season acting like a point forward because Portland had to lean on him to help organize the offense when the backcourt was thin. The idea now is different. With new playmakers in the mix, the Trail Blazers can ask Avdija to do less of the heavy lifting with the ball and more of the work that best fits his skill set, especially on the defensive end, where he has a chance to settle into a more natural two-way role.
That matters because Portlands identity appears to be tilting toward length, activity and defense around him, with Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan part of the frontcourt backbone. If the Blazers can keep that structure in place and their new creators stabilize the offense, Avdija could be in line for a real step forward as the roster comes together over the next couple of seasons. [Read more 🡒]