The Portland Trail Blazers are trying to sort out a 10-man rotation for the upcoming season, and the shape of that group starts with a familiar name at the top.
Damian Lillard is expected to reclaim the starting point guard job when he gets back on the floor next season. Even at 36 and coming off a torn Achilles injury, he is still being treated as one of the league’s elite players at his position - and as the biggest name in Blazers history, he remains the anchor of the whole operation.
Portland made a major move to give Lillard a running mate in the backcourt, landing Ja Morant in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies. That addition was a surprise, but the expectation is clear: Morant is going to play a major role in shaping the team’s offensive core.
Deni Avdija is still right in the middle of that picture, even if his job description changes a bit. He was Portland’s leading scorer last season and earned his first All-Star nod, and the Blazers will continue to lean on him as a centerpiece. With Lillard and Morant now sharing the floor, Avdija’s lane attacks and scoring from all three levels should stay vital.
Toumani Camara looks locked into another starting role after opening every game last season. He put up 13 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, and his reputation as one of the league’s best defensive wings only matters more with Portland’s undersized backcourt. His presence gives the Blazers a needed layer of toughness on the perimeter.
At center, Donovan Clingan has already established himself as the franchise’s big man. In his second season, he averaged a double-double with 12.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, and he started 77 games last year. Even with Yang Hansen in the wings and Robert Williams III back on a new deal, Clingan is still projected to hold down the starting job.
Williams, meanwhile, is set to back him up after signing a three-year contract this offseason. His rim protection is expected to be a real asset, and there’s at least some intrigue around how much time he shares with second-year pro Yann Hansen. Still, the multi-year deal points to Williams getting the bulk of the backup center minutes.
The backcourt, though, is where the rotation gets crowded fast. Jrue Holiday is expected to slide to the second unit now that Lillard and Morant are in place, though head coach Micah Nori has made it clear how important Holiday remains. He should still be in line for meaningful minutes whenever one of the starters needs a breather.
Scoot Henderson is another player who has to fight for his place. The former No. 3 overall pick played only 30 games last season because of injury, but he finished healthy and made an impact in five playoff games against the San Antonio Spurs. He started every game and averaged 15 points while shooting 46.4 percent from three, which gives him a real case for minutes - even if the numbers game in Portland makes that tougher.
Shaedon Sharpe faces a similar squeeze. At 23, he still has plenty of upside, and last season he averaged 20.8 points and 4.3 rebounds while making 42 starts. But with Morant joining the mix, his role is likely to shrink some, a reflection of just how deep the Blazers are now in the backcourt.
If Nori trims the group to nine, Sidy Cissoko looks like the most likely player to fall out. Vitt Krejci and Matisse Thybulle could also be in the conversation - Krejci because of his partially guaranteed contract, Thybulle because he has not yet re-signed - but Cissoko gets the nod for now. At 6-foot-6, he gives Portland another defensive option, can guard multiple positions, and could spell Camara when needed in a second unit that could use more size.
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