A main component of becoming a competitive NBA team is knowing when it’s time to shift
gears — moving from tanking and stockpiling draft picks to actually competing for wins. The
timing can make or break a franchise for the next decade. Push too early, and you trap your
fanbase in a never-ending loop of losing with only brief peaks of mediocrity. Wait too long,
and you’re stuck living in the land of what if — a feeling Portland Trail Blazers fans know all too well.
Success in the NBA usually starts
with a simple truth: find your star, or find a way to support the one you have. The Trail Blazers enter 2025–26 caught between both realities — they’re not entirely sure which side of the equation they’re on. The roster has undeniable talent and depth, but the question remains: will this be the year a franchise star emerges, or is Joe Cronin still searching?
Though it is still a very up in the air matter, if there’s one player with the potential to become
a franchise cornerstone, it’s Deni Avdija. His transformation from the start of last season to
post-All-Star break was like watching two completely different players. The leap he made in
production, consistency and more importantly his confidence suggests he could be ready to
take that next step.
Deni’s ceiling is super high but we learned early last season that his floor
could be very low as well. Was the second part of the season a fluke or is averaging 21
points and 8 rebounds as he did in the last 30 games of the 24-25 season the new normal?
Toumani Camara’s impact is undeniable, but his skill set doesn’t necessarily scream
superstardom. Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson are still in the running for the
franchise crown, yet both have strides to make before living up to the potential that made
them top draft picks. Damian Lillard would be the perfect answer this season, but with
injuries and age catching up, it’s unclear what version of “Dame Time” we’ll see by 2026–27.
For now, it’s Deni’s team until he proves otherwise — and this season is his chance to seize
it with both hands.
If the next franchise star isn’t already on the roster, it’s far from a dead end for Portland.
While they may not have the overflowing stash of draft picks Oklahoma City can offer, the
Blazers still have an appealing mix — young talent with upside, contracts that can be moved
in the right deal, and future first-rounders from Milwaukee that could draw plenty of interest
around the league.. A great example: The Houston Rockets had all the ingredients of a team
on the rise. After years of developing their young core and building depth, they were ready to
take the next step. Houston reached that moment and pulled the trigger, landing Kevin
Durant. Overnight, they went from a team with upside to a team with expectations
Could a disgruntled star hit the trade market? Could an injury-ridden contender decide to
blow it up? Or maybe, just maybe, a 2019 Kawhi Leonard–type situation presents itself — a
one-year superstar rental that changes everything. In the NBA’s ever-shifting landscape, the
future can turn on a single trade, and for the Blazers, the possibilities are endless.
The Blazers hold all the chips when it comes to shaping their future, and their timeline is as
promising as it’s been in years. But to make the most of it, the timing has to be perfect — the
kind of move that could define the next decade of basketball in Portland. So the question
remains: is our franchise player already wearing a Blazers jersey, or will we have to go
searching? What do you think?
