The Most Glaring Roster Holes the Portland Trail Blazers Must Fill During Offseason

As Damian Lillard nears a return from his Achilles injury, Portland must address a historic lack of post-up presence and a 30% playoff shooting slump to maximize its new era under Tom Dundon.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe shoots over San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle during the first half of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

If there’s any consolation to the Portland Trail Blazers’ early postseason exit, it’s that it allowed them to see — on a national scale — how they measure up to the NBA’s toughest competition.

Much of it, one could’ve seen coming, given that their regular season tendencies weren’t much different. But, with avenues to retool their roster, and a soon-to-be Hall of Famer returning to the fold, the time to join the elite Western Conference teams has arrived. 

We could just say the words "Giannis Antetokounmpo" and cut the show short, but where's the fun in that?

Here’s what one observer considers to be their “glaring needs,” and must-fix roster holes before 2026-27.

A low-post presence

Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan posts up against Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Just in case you were wondering: the Blazers’ 2025-26 offense finished a possession with a post-up on just 140 occasions.

Not only did this number rank dead last in the NBA, but over the 11 seasons in which this statistic has been tracked, only eight teams in league history ran back-to-basket plays at a lower frequency.

That isn’t necessarily to say that low-post passes are conducive to victories; heck, the 2024-25 Oklahoma City Thunder conquered the league outright with fewer post-ups than this year’s Blazers did.

But, think for a second from a pure hoops perspective. 

Let’s just say, hypothetically, that the Blazers held a 15-point lead against a Victor Wembanyama-less Spurs team with five minutes left in the third quarter.

Let’s also imagine that they needed some way to both bleed the clock and get high percentage shot attempts.

Can you think of a shot type that might work?

It’s part of the reason why longstanding, optimistic Blazers supporters think championships and deep postseason runs would’ve worked in parallel if LaMarcus Aldridge had stayed in the last decade. Or, why they think the ‘19 Blazers could’ve conquered Golden State if Jusuf Nurkić were healthy. 

Ideally, it would be one of those skillset additions that 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan returns in Year Three with, but for now, there’s not a ton of evidence. 

On occasion, he looks to have the process down, but schematically, Portland almost never ran a post-up his way. In 107 postseason minutes, he wasn’t tracked for a single one, and during 2,094 regular-season minutes, he was 7-of-11 on post-ups. Given his postseason field goal percentage —  30.4 percent on 46 attempts — he likely knows it’s a necessity. 

Of course, a player like Antetokounmpo or Anthony Davis solve many of these problems, but should Portland be looking on a few lower-shelf alternatives — given their cap constraints — here are a few names that might matter: 

• Al Horford

A cap casualty from a year ago who really should be in Boston still, and Joel Embiid’s Game 7 domination likely accentuates those feelings. Perhaps pitches from former teammates — think Jrue Holiday and Robert Williams III could make an impact?

• Quinten Post

And no, Stephen Curry will not be next. Post happens to be another Warriors big whose future is in limbo, after injuries, a shooting slump, and frankly, more playable options, knocked him out of the rotation. Although, he is a restricted free agent. Given his 3-point résumé, though, it could be a “kill two birds with one stone” situation for a team that direly needs shooting.

• Jock Landale

Another sorely-missed presence during Atlanta’s postseason run. A master of deep post positioning, Landale was elite in both post-up shot attempts (62) and percentage (51.6). Atlanta was 18-5 after acquiring him, which could make it difficult, despite him being an unrestricted free agent.

A 3-point shooter .... or 10

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard competes in the three point contest during the 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Observe even a quarter of a Blazers game, and this one becomes a no-brainer. As noted by Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian, this is the type of priority Portland’s front office has verbally prioritized before, but if the Blazers truly believe in their contention window, the urgency might be at an all-time high.

It wasn’t quite 2018 Rockets in Game 7-esque, but Portland’s playoff shot diet consisted of 38.4 attempts per game, nearly a top-of-the-league ranking. But, because their accuracy was so flawed — 30.4 percent, a tie for the league’s lowest — they were unable to turn those math equations in their favor.

Thinking about this team’s makeup, both in 2025-26, and in 2026-27 when Damian Lillard returns, drive-and-kick opportunities figure to be in abundance. The return of No. 0 from his year-long recovery from an Achilles injury will inevitably boost those percentages, and, although Portland does have the leverage to reel in a big name this summer, here are a few lower-tier names that might of intrigue:

• Quentin Grimes

Reasons for watching the postseason might’ve grown a bit shorter for Blazers fans, but for those invested, a number of likely-affordable, plug-and-play fits will be on audition. Grimes profiles as one, as his one-year, $8.7 million, “bet on himself” deal could make him an intriguing option. 

For his career, Grimes is an about-league-average 3-point sniper with a picture-esque form to match. But, his fit alongside the Embiid-Maxey pairing —  especially recently — feels awkward. Could the 25-year-old be an under-the-tax option?

• Keon Ellis

Contending teams can never have a “surplus” of 3-and-D specialists on the perimeter, and Ellis fulfills this role both affordably, and without occupying too many possessions. He qualifies as another “wonky fit”; in 43 postseason minutes for Cleveland, he’s scored just three points. Nonetheless, the Cavaliers own the league’s highest payroll, which could make the fourth-year swingman expendable.

• Jordan Goodwin

The Phoenix Suns have deemed it a “priority” to ensure that they retain Goodwin, and rightfully so. The fifth-year guard has quietly mastered the art of 3-and-D, grit, and knowing how to fit into any system. Although he’s a UFA, Phoenix does have his early Bird rights, but if the price isn’t too hefty, he would be an elite possibility.

Outside of That … What Else?

Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday against the Phoenix Suns during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Given Lillard’s impending return, Jrue Holiday figures to command quite the market in trade talks. And thus, one might argue that a pass-first, set-the-table point guard, even if for the second unit, might not be the worst idea. 

There aren’t a lot of these archetypes on the market; but one — Brandon Williams — could check the box, as he did briefly in Portland during the 2021-22 season. Or, perhaps, Tyus Jones, a non-Bird UFA coming off of a down season.

In any case, Portland and their ownership —  for better or worse — figure to be among the NBA’s most must-watch organizations this offseason. From head coaching positions to player depth, there are gaps to be filled.

Tom Dundon has gone on record in discussing the importance of winning, and with the right moves, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Blazers in the deep postseason hunt in 2026-27.